What was the environment in which you were raised? Describe your family, home, neighborhood, or community, and explain how it has shaped you as a person.
Thirukkural, a Tamil book of short stories with phrases like "Although an act of help done timely, might be small in nature, it is truly larger than the world itself" has greatly formed my ideals. Through the California Tamil Academy, an organization dedicated to teaching children about the Tamil language, customs, and art forms, I have been able to stay in touch with my culture and language alongside the abundant cultures within America. I visit my family annually in Tamil Nadu, India, engaging in various customs and traditions. One of my fondest memories there is of Pongal, a festival showcasing the importance of farming in the Tamil culture by harvesting rice, sugarcane, and turmeric. Watching people dance and sing and hearing cattle bells developed in my soul a connection to my culture I had never felt before. Although the celebrations are not as grand in America, my family makes pongal, a popular rice dish consumed during the festival, and we participate regularly in festivities at our local temple.
While I have been immersed in Tamil culture, I am also fortunate enough to experience the various cultures within America. Coming from a high school with over 4,000 students, I have noticed the dichotomy between my life here and the life of my family in India. When visiting my cousin’s school in India, I realized that everyone there was a Tamilian and lived life with the same customs and traditions. Now, when I sit through a class in school, I see various races, ethnicities, and cultures. From the villages of India to small private schools and the massive high schools in America, I have experienced widely different education systems and diverse lifestyles and cultures, developing in me a greater understanding of all people. My experiences and stories can contribute to the diversity in the University of Texas at Austin. Through the University’s Indian Students Association, I will be able to continue celebrating Indian holidays and cherishing the heritage. I also hope to start an organization similar to the California Tamil Academy on campus to spread the knowledge and traditions of Tamil Nadu. As we say, “our village and every person is our family”, and that same inclusiveness is what I want my organization to embody. Having been to Tamil Nadu and other parts of India, I am excited to share ideas from my family's specific region such as the morals taught by the Thirukkural.