Showing posts with label PD Soros. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PD Soros. Show all posts
Public Voices Fellowship Year One
Introducing the inaugural collection of op-eds penned by the 2023 cohort of Public Voices Fellows, a partnership between The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans and The OpEd Project. Representing a diverse range of backgrounds, experiences, and expertise, these twenty Paul & Daisy Soros Fellows were chosen from a competitive pool of over 60 applicants, all alumni of the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships. Throughout the year, these writers received unparalleled support, honed their leadership skills, and deepened their understanding of how to shape public discourse. The op-eds presented here reflect their dedication to influencing not only their respective fields but also the broader conversations shaping our society. Dive into this compilation to explore thought-provoking perspectives from the first year of the Public Voices Fellowship program
PD Soros Fall Conference
A memorable, emotional and absolutely enjoyable Fall Conference in New York last week with an amazing group of fellow students.
US Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy (alum of the very first batch) was the keynote speaker. What a moving and brilliant keynote on the increasing loneliness in the US and the importance of social connection.
Some remarkable team building exercises, interesting outings, topped off with a deep dive interview by a 2022 fellow with the 94 year old (and going strong) Daisy Soros during the closing session.
And happy 25 years to PD Soros Fellowship.
A poem written for Daisy Soros and presented at the closing event.
Background Introduction
This poem, "Aria of Aspirations," is an operatic ode dedicated to Daisy Soros and the late Paul Soros. Intermingled within this lyrical tapestry are cultural foreign language phrases contributed by the 2022 Fellows, epitomizing our global community bound together by shared dreams, aspirations and values. We celebrate individual stories, individual abilities and disabilities, while acknowledging the collective. The verses resonate with the unity, mentorship, and deep bonds fostered over the past year, all set against the backdrop of Verdi — a notable favorite of Daisy’s along with a nod to Daisy's cherished song, "La Vie en Rose" by Edith Piaf.Of course, the poem is more inspired by the essence of the flow of a Verdi opera rather than a strict structural representation of one. For instance, the introduction with the dawn’s first light sets the stage much like an overture or prelude. The subsequent verses describe various scenes, reminiscent of arias and ensemble pieces in an opera. As we traverse from one stanza to the next, we also journey through the cultural and operatic art forms reflecting the diversity and richness of each of the 2022 Fellow’s countries of origin. Only the heritage countries of the 2022 Fellows are referenced. The climax builds around the lines that reference Daisy. The poem ends on an appreciative note, reflective of a finale or closing chorus in an opera. The use of musical metaphors is a depiction of our journey, growth and appreciation, reminiscent of the ebb and flow one might find in an opera.
Above all, this poem stands as a testament to Daisy and Paul's enduring legacy and their unwavering belief in the transformative power of investing in people, us New Americans.
Aria of Aspirations
In the powerful embrace of dawn's first light,
An aria begins, echoing the night.
Like Verdi's voices, in a crescendo bold,
Daisy, with Paul, your legacy retold.
From the depths of memory, notes we chose,
World painted in hues of La vie en rose.
An inspiring community, dreams taking flight,
Believing in the power of the New American right.
Andante tales from Nigeria's Ewi pride,
Bharatanatyam in India, vivace stride.
Syria's dancers, in Sufi whirling, they soar,
Calypso rhythms, Grenada's lively lore.
Germany's Deutsche Oper, largo and deep,
Polish opera's passion, allegro sweep.
Staccato tales of Russkaya, tales so vast,
Makossa beats in Cameroon, from the past.
Nanguan melodies in Taiwan, gentle and fine,
Mariachi strums, Mexico's vivacious line.
Zemer Ivri from Israel, tunes that enthrall,
Pakistan's Qawwali, a resonant call.
El Salvador's Cumbia, rhythm and song,
Congo's Soukous, where dance moves prolong.
Chinese opera's mask, legends of yore.
Vietnam's Ca trù, a haunting encore.
Romania's Doina, a melancholic strain.
England's classic ballads, tales that remain,
Uganda's Ndere, in rhythmic dance they weave,
Canada's vast beauty, where the maple leaves believe.
In unity, beyond borders, we soar,
Embracing abilities and disabilities, our spirit does roar.
For in this fellowship, we truly see,
The strength of inclusion, setting hearts free.
Daisy, our fellowship’s deepam, light,
Paul, in dolce memory, makes the night bright.
Apurbo, wonderful, with 2.5 decades decree,
Your combined legacies, a grand opera’s spree.
Cuando la oportunidad no te llama,
construye una puerta, is your panorama.
For every dream, an aria of our own.
In this vast libretto, aspirations grown.
Qui cherche trouve, in tales that we’ve planned.
Contrapunto contrasts, hand in hand
Yaar, friend, Fellows forge unyielding bonds,
Guided by mentorship, on which our growth dawns.
Al-nas lba'adah, together we stand,
With each note played, by your visionary hand.
In Verdi's coda, strong and profound,
Daisy, your strength and resilience resound
A reflection of past, largo’s embrace,
A celebration of futures, in allegro’s chase.
For in this grand opera, one thing is clear,
Through music and dreams, you've drawn us near.
A family, a friendship, presto and planned,
You invest in people, on this vast vast land.
With each passing year, our ensemble does grow,
In the name of love, letting dreams flow.
Classic and visionary, an aria’s play,
Daisy Soros, to you and Paul, our gratitude we convey.
For in every note, in each melody's strand,
Is the touch of your hearts, the warmth of your hand
Foreign Language Translations
Al-nas lba'adah (arabic): people are there to support each other
Apurbo (bengali): Wonderful /amazing
Cuando la oportunidad no te llama, construye una puerta (spanish): When opportunity doesn't knock, build a door
Deepam (tamil): Light
Qui cherche trouve (french): Who seeks, finds
Yaar (hindi): Friend
PD Soros Fall Conference
I went in with a lot of anxiety last year and ended up having a lot of fun.
Looking forward to this year's event in Manhattan, NY on Oct 19-22
OpEd Project
Got selected as a Public Vocies Fellow. Thank you PD Soros and OpEd Project for this amazing opportunity, I'm excited to learn from and and be mentored by some of the brightest minds in writing. I'm looking forward to learning how to contribute to important conversations in our world.
Loneliness
Factoring in disability, tends to, I think, further intensift that loneliness because as a disabled person you already were existing on the fringe socially to begin with.
Good insight from Nikka
Image Description: Blue background with text that reads: So many [grad students] feel lonely at different times and in different ways. You’re making such a big leap from undergrad where everyone is basically in rhythm with one another, to graduate school where everyone is out of sync and working solo. It's a Lot!
Responses
Reflection Questions
1. What were the biggest accomplishments or successes you achieved in 2022?2. What were the biggest challenges or difficulties you faced in 2022?
3. How did your relationships with others change or evolve in 2022?
4. How did you contribute to your community or make a positive impact in 2022?
5. What changes or shifts did you notice in your priorities or values in 2022?
6. How did you take care of your physical, mental, and emotional health in 2022?
7. How did you expand your knowledge base in 2022 through coursework, conferences, or other academic experiences?
8. How did you develop your critical thinking and analytical skills in 2022?
9. How do you envision your trajectory in the future, and what steps will you take in 2023 to work towards your goals?
10. What did you learn about yourself in 2022?
An Awesome Year
An Awesome Year
A sobering reality: I continue to have a ton of autism challenges and have not made much headway on those year after frustrating year much to my sorrow. They do consume a good part of my day; almost 95% of my life. I do wish that we as a society find solutions to those - both on the non-medical and medical front. However I also want to focus on the positives in this post because those give meaning for me to keep going even as I hope and search for solutions on other fronts. So here's the 5% awesome part even as they are tempered by the other 95%.Awesome 2022
2022 was an awesome year.
An awesome year it was.
Like the tortoise (in Hare & Tortoise), I took slow strides.
Each autistic step - a belief in the Possibility of Me.
#redefine_the_table, #Hari_as_possibility
From Possibility comes Opportunity
Meeting the President and the Vice-President
2022 was the year I got to go to DC. Twice.
First time to meet with VP Kamala Harris at the Naval Observatory.
A second time I went to the White House where I got to shake President Biden's hand.
What an incredible incredible honor.
First time to meet with VP Kamala Harris at the Naval Observatory.
A second time I went to the White House where I got to shake President Biden's hand.
What an incredible incredible honor.
Who could have imagined stuff like this for me.Getting an invite to the White House.Meeting the President of the USJust how awesome is that!!
I graduate from UC Berkeley
I'm a college graduate in year 2022. It feels so good. This was a kid that was not even expected to get a high school diploma. My lot was to be in special education and not aspire for much more. Education was the candy in the candy store with me firmly told to be outside.
This was a degree ++ with dollops of unexpected extra bonuses. I absolutely am relishing it.
How awesome is this?I am just so darn proud of that yearned for degreeYoung man, you must be doing some stuff right.Cuz. along with degree there was even moreAdditional appreciation in the most unexpected forms.
University Medal Finalist, I sit on Commencement stage with Chancellor & a Nobel LaureateDepartmental Citation, I give the Department Commencement SpeechHighest Distinction (other universities call this Summa Cum Laude)Phi Beta Kappa, Psi Chi and 4.0 GPAAwesome icing on a Berkeley degree
Undergraduate Research
As a Haas Scholar I not only got funding and mentoring for a year long research but I got to be part of a sagacious community, amongst aspiring change makers in myriad fields. The research was so varied and interesting and I listened in awe as students presented on topics from illegal trash dumping in Oakland to Prison Reform to circular RNA and the spread of dengue virus.
A special shout out to Leah Carroll who runs and is the glue that holds the Haas Scholars program together. She kept us to timelines and managed resources to help us get our resource done. And there was a lot of resource management logistics involved, like getting those participant gift cards out through Bear Buy.
I presented my research at 2 Academic Colloquia (Jan & April), and a SPSS (Society for Personality and Social Psychology) Poster Presentation in Feb. And I continue to work with Prof Keltner to get 2 papers (on awe and empathy) to publication.
I had a wonderful an encouraging mentor for my research in Prof Dacher Keltner.
A special shout out to Leah Carroll who runs and is the glue that holds the Haas Scholars program together. She kept us to timelines and managed resources to help us get our resource done. And there was a lot of resource management logistics involved, like getting those participant gift cards out through Bear Buy.
I presented my research at 2 Academic Colloquia (Jan & April), and a SPSS (Society for Personality and Social Psychology) Poster Presentation in Feb. And I continue to work with Prof Keltner to get 2 papers (on awe and empathy) to publication.
I had a wonderful an encouraging mentor for my research in Prof Dacher Keltner.
How awesome is it......to research awe in autistics....be mentored by an expert in the science of awe.
Just how awesome is that?
Senior Honors Thesis
This research was also part of my Senior Honors Thesis. Every week I sat with my fellow students in the Honors class lead by Prof Linda Wilbrecht. I learned about what my fellow psychology students researched. I was surrounded by fellow researchers both within and outside the field of psychology.
I submitted my thesis on awe to the department in April - all 66 pages of it.
This was a faculty comment about my thesis
I submitted my thesis on awe to the department in April - all 66 pages of it.
This was a faculty comment about my thesis
- This is truly an excellent honors thesis! The research topic is incredibly important and interesting, and it is unique to probe the autistic experience of awe in comparison with that of neurotypical individuals. The results are very cool, interesting, and complex. Although this is brand new research and more empirical data are needed, the preliminary results, which argue against the emotion deficit view of autistic individuals, are potentially groundbreaking. I hope you will pursue this work further and I hope we will see the work published in a psychology journal in the near future.
How awesome is that?
I think back to when early educators did not want me in their classrooms and every evaluation report and IEPs were a litany of my "lack of accomplishments," or "lack of progress." In fact during my first special ed kindergarten placement, the teacher sent home a note which essentially said that she was concerned at my lack of progress in the first 6 weeks in her classroom. This was to be a repeated story in the all the multiple special ed classrooms I was shuffled around in.
Think, just how awesome it is for me now, to get comments from educators that rate me as excellent. I'm so so relishing it.
Autism Decal
Spring semester was my 7th and final semester of Autism Decal. Creation of this impactful class at Berkeley is one of my proudest accomplishments during my undergrad. Just how awesome is it to hear that material from this class was influencing a grad student in Europe in her research. A class that grew from 17 to 50. It even was honored with mention on a US President (President Obama's) Instagram. Just too Awesome.
The Daily Californian
I wrote my last column for the Daily Cal and waxed nostalgic (understandably).
What a wonderful experience Berkeley has been for me. It was my Golden Bear Song.
PD Soros Fellowship.
I got the call on Jan 7 from Daisy Soros - I'm a PD Soros Fellow. This is a very prestigious fellowship and the chances of getting in were slim. So to get through was rather surreal.
The news was only to be released in April when 30 scholars graced a full page of the New York Times.
The fellows met at a 4 day conference extravaganza in New York in October.
Daisy Soros sure is a powerhouse at 94 - I am in awe!!
We fellows chatted, met with famous alum, toured New York and more - the Met, a Broadway musical, a Jazz club and a formal cocktail hosted by Daisy Soros. The conference sure was a lifetime experience and what an amazing cohort to be in.
The news was only to be released in April when 30 scholars graced a full page of the New York Times.
The fellows met at a 4 day conference extravaganza in New York in October.
Daisy Soros sure is a powerhouse at 94 - I am in awe!!
We fellows chatted, met with famous alum, toured New York and more - the Met, a Broadway musical, a Jazz club and a formal cocktail hosted by Daisy Soros. The conference sure was a lifetime experience and what an amazing cohort to be in.
Getting into Grad School
I'd applied to grad school last fall.Results in early spring.Decision deadline Apr 15.Headed to Vanderbilt for a PhD in Neuroscience in Fall.
Can you believe this guy from grade 8 special ed now actually headed to grad school?
Media Coverage
There was a ton of media coverage around the PD Soros fellowship, my Berkeley graduation and Vanderbilt grad school admission.
I got multiple mentions in various UC Berkeley sites. Daily Cal covered me (a turnaround as I usually write the articles). I even made it to an article in Forbes. There was coverage in many Indian American newspapers and at Vanderbilt too.
All the coverage felt a little overwhelming yet I am totally grateful for all this acknowledgment of my accomplishments. (It helps counter the years and years of trauma build up with the reports of, will never amount to anything, claims)
I got multiple mentions in various UC Berkeley sites. Daily Cal covered me (a turnaround as I usually write the articles). I even made it to an article in Forbes. There was coverage in many Indian American newspapers and at Vanderbilt too.
All the coverage felt a little overwhelming yet I am totally grateful for all this acknowledgment of my accomplishments. (It helps counter the years and years of trauma build up with the reports of, will never amount to anything, claims)
From California to Tennessee.
Grad School has meant a move across the country from Berkeley CA to Nashville TN.
It is a new place to adjust too! Transition and autism are not the best of bedfellows.
It is a new place to adjust too! Transition and autism are not the best of bedfellows.
I miss the extracurriculars and friends back home. I miss the view of the Bay and Golden Gate Bridge from my California bedroom window.
It's pretty hot here in summer, a little too hot. But it's also green and lush with lots of rain. The grass is green even in winter due to the rain. Rain-starved California sure could use some of this rain (just not this week as I hear there are Bay Area mudslides due to heavy rains!!).
It's pretty hot here in summer, a little too hot. But it's also green and lush with lots of rain. The grass is green even in winter due to the rain. Rain-starved California sure could use some of this rain (just not this week as I hear there are Bay Area mudslides due to heavy rains!!).
I'm not missing the annual wildfire smoke of California. One year the sky turned orange from the smoke and the entire town of Paradise was burnt down. And looks like I narrowly missed some recent big earthquakes in the Bay Area.
But there are other natural disasters to content with here - like my first tornado spent anxiously in the basement. What if you are traveling on an open road?
Winter is wet and cold with some snow. I'm not so sure I like this level of cold. I experienced my first snow and was housebound for 4-5 days over the winter break till the slick black ice on roads melted away. Being housebound for even a few days was a little scary but of course it's nothing compared to the plight of folks caught in the Buffalo snow blizzard.
Nature is lovely here - a walk in the nearby Percy-Warner park under the shade of the massive trees reminded me of the tall redwoods in Yosemite. The best part is the daily wildlife show. People travel to see such shows. Turkey and deer grace my backyard, with the occasional fox. I watched baby deer frolic around and grow into adults. Myriad birds perch and practice birdsong on the woody vines that hangs from the tall trees. Wildlife with a backdrop of tall lush trees in summer, changing leaf colors in fall and the snow clad barren trees of winter are awesome sights to see.
Nashville is Music City and I hope to get to experience some of that music soon.....
Grad School @Vanderbilt from Fall
- Grad School orientation
- A Lab Coat Ceremony with my own Personalized Lab Coat
- A Neuroscience Retreat
- Lab Rotation at SENSE (Social Emotional Neuroscience Endocrinology) Lab
- Participate in the SENSE Theatre workshop.
- An own office space at the research lab with my name on the door.
- NISE Fellow at the Frist Center for Autism and Innovation at Vanderbilt.
- Did well on the academic front (Synesthesia, Multisensory Integration)
Survived first semester.....
A huge change, transitions that quite make the head spin.
Still adjusting, lots of figuring out left to do... a work in progress the next few years.
Fingers crossed that my unpredictable autism challenges let me travel this journey well.
And make useful contributions along the way.
But really, just how awesome has this year been?
Still adjusting, lots of figuring out left to do... a work in progress the next few years.
Fingers crossed that my unpredictable autism challenges let me travel this journey well.
And make useful contributions along the way.
But really, just how awesome has this year been?
Vacations
Got to visit Italy; Florence and Venice & Tuscany countryside over Spring Break.
India over the summer for my cousin Ved's Poonal ceremony
Memphis over Thanksgiving break.
And the 2 DC Trips and the NY Trip.
Hope for an (equally) awesome 2023
I wonder what 2023 will bring?
In the Possibility of Me?
Dare I hope from others
....Surrounded by folks who are patient, encouraging & empathic of my disability
... Make kind friends outside the classroom
Slow purposeful strides, an elephant I want to be.
... Relish learning and knowledge coupled with endless curiosity
... Use Advocacy & Research to add more pebbles that widen ripples in the pond of change.
... Giant leaps on the journey to emotional equanimity (mood continues to be tough nut)
... Learn to better manage & cope with the vagaries of my unpredictable disability which can feel like a leaky boat.
In the Possibility of Me?
Dare I hope from others
....Surrounded by folks who are patient, encouraging & empathic of my disability
... Make kind friends outside the classroom
Slow purposeful strides, an elephant I want to be.
... Relish learning and knowledge coupled with endless curiosity
... Use Advocacy & Research to add more pebbles that widen ripples in the pond of change.
... Giant leaps on the journey to emotional equanimity (mood continues to be tough nut)
... Learn to better manage & cope with the vagaries of my unpredictable disability which can feel like a leaky boat.
Wishing everyone an
AWESOME 2023 full of POSSIBILITY
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