Chinmaya International Residential School
Chinmaya International Residential School
Jyanam Seva ca Kaushalam [knowledge, service, efficiency] Chinmaya International Residential School (CIRS) was a home away from home. Through this experience, I learned how to sustain myself away from my parents and comfort zone and went through discovered myself and my passions that couldn’t have been brought to fruition more organically.
Mahashivarathri Pooja
Extracurriculars.
Freshman and Sophomore Class Representative
Running for the Class Representatives elections in a school that I was new to was an experience that I will never forget. It encouraged me to embrace taking a faith of leap and the power of trying something new, proving to be a valuable asset in the coming years. As Class Representative, I led my peers at any school functioning and directed a Class Play.
Editor-in-chief of the Creative Literary Magazine
Writing has always been a passion of mine. The idea of conveying emotions and ideas through words, with the stylistic choices of the author, has appealed to me since middle school. In middle school, when I was selected to be on the prestigious Power of the Pen creative writing team, I knew I wanted to continue that into my high school career.
Founder of Girl Up CIRS
Girl Up CIRS was created to address the lack of conversations around gender equality. Priding itself as the first student-led organization in CIRS history, the club has engaged over 650+ students and alum through presentations, plays, “Dorm Discussions,” and virtual events.
Model United Nations
I was introduced to Model United Nations in middle school. At first, I was intimidated by the high schoolers who came in to talk about moderated and unmoderated caucuses. After I overcame the fear, I grew closer to the art of Model United Nations. In CIRS, the Model United Nations team was one of the most coveted teams a student could join. After multiple interviews, I was selected to attend the IIMUN Conference in Aamby Valley Mumbai. There, I was selected as the President of India on the Special Summit Committee- the most prestigious committee at the conference— which discussed Indo-China relations. I won Best Delegate of my committee and was invited to be a delegate at the Midnight Crisis Committee which gathered the best delegates from each committee to discuss current affairs.
Acropolis
If India taught me anything, it taught me how to be flexible and adaptable. Since fifth grade, I was in love with the cello and viola. In fact, I used to get in trouble for practicing too much! When I went to India and didn’t have access to a cello or viola, I learned the violin. Through passion and dedication towards the art, I was invited to join CIRS Acropolis, the school’s band, as a lead violinist. My curiosity for passion didn’t stop at learning the violin. I also learned other instruments in the band like the tabla (classical Indian Instrument) and sang both contemporary and Indian classical pieces.
General Knowledge Quiz Team
In a school with no technology, except the calls placed through a communal wall phone, newspapers became a gateway into the “outside world” for me. Through the religious reading of newspapers, I was able to learn so much about the world around me and eliminate biases and ignorance through a bipartisan perspective. I was ultimately selected for the General Knowledge Quiz Team and competed in various competitions within and outside of CIRS.
Athletics
I always felt like an outsider because of my chubbiness throughout my childhood. With an unwavering focus like no other, I decided to change this negative cycle with athletes. My morning routine started at 4 am when I trained as a part of the CIRS basketball team. One hour later, I would begin training for swimming and in the evenings again, I would practice and build my stamina. After months of hard work, I became the Student Captain of the U-19 Swimming Team where I qualified for the Southzone Aquatics Conference (Nationals) and placed fourth in the 400m Freestyle. Additionally, I’ve also represented CIRS as a discus, javelin, and shotput thrower and have won accolades in all three events. Sports has taught me the discipline that no other activity would have. Due to an injury in the elbow, I was unable to continue engaging in these sports but I will always joy in 4 am workout sessions.
Festivals
Holi
Ganesha Chaturthi
Khel Mela
Pongal
Yercaud
Raksha Bandhan
Celebrating festivals at CIRS showed me the richness of my Indian heritage and the community that I belong to, an experience that is invaluable to the shaping of my identity