THE IMPACT OF MOVING TO ANOTHER COUNTRY

The education system in America is so different than India I remember in India, every time a teacher would come into a classroom, you'd stand up and you'd, greet them, or every time you answer a question, you'd stand up My habit when my American teachers would come in, I'd stand up and every time I answered a question and everyone would look at me like, “What are you doing?” My teachers would say, “You don't need to stand up every time you talk ” It’s those cultural differences and just getting adjusted to that Other things like my accent would just reaffirm how different I was. I think I decided at a young age, that it was better to just blend in or not speak up that much, rather than stand out and kind of own that I was from India, and I had a different cultural experience That was a hard time of just not feeling fully content because I wasn’t being myself At the same time, at first, I was angry at my parents and just in general at the situation because I didn't want to move. But overall, I am grateful for the experience of moving and having the experience of both cultures

I think I'm still healing from the challenges that I faced during that transition because I'm now reverting to that version of myself that is proud of my culture The whole platform I have now is based off being Indian in that culture that loves music. I think going to college that was more diverse than my high school and middle school was a huge part of it, and involving myself in communities that encouraged my growth. For anyone who is feeling restricted in their high school or middle school, I think forcing yourself to go to a college that is out of state or somewhere, far from home or even more than 2 hours away can really help It’s a huge step to take because you are uncomfortable at first, but you figure out how you want to live life, on your own I think that experience of just moving to Atlanta for college [Georgia Tech] was kind of tough, but then I found my people a couple of weeks in, and now they're still my best friends. I just feel so much more supported and comfortable in this community I have formed in college.

WHAT DOES YOUR MENTAL HEALTH LOOK LIKE NOW?

I think the main challenge I’ve been facing is with imposter syndrome and not feeling that I deserve the opportunities I receive I haven’t devoted my life to music like others and I think because I’ve been posting stuff for fun and I am now getting cool opportunities, I sometimes feel like I don’t deserve it. My initial thoughts are often, “There are so many better violinists out there, or people who do the same thing I do, they just don't post it on social media,” and while that's true, I think I must tell myself not to question it because it's an opportunity for me to continue with my journey with music I also don't think I'm taking away from anyone else by pursuing my own dreams

But, yeah, I think that's something that’s reoccurring But again, I feel like the support I get online and I have people who believe in me more than I believe in myself I think that's the best kind of people to surround yourself with. So, that’s who I rely on when I do have these thoughts in my head.