SridarName: Sridar Iyengar

Hometowns: Kolkata, India where I was born two days before India’s independence in 1947,  Manchester, England where I lived for 16 years,  Mumbai where I spend a lot of time and Atherton, California where I now  live in between my travels. 

What is your favorite book?: I must say Lord of the Rings because it is the book that I read in 1968 cover to cover (all 1,100+ pages ) in 2 days without sleep stopping only when I was at work . Also because the idea of a Fellowship is at the center of everything I do or want to do. 

Give one random fact about you?: When playing soccer as a middle schooler in India I used to constantly harass the player (usually a senior)  in the opposing team who had the ball  , scurrying at and around their feet until I  got it off them. One of them nicknamed me Bicchu which is Bengali for scorpion . 

In class what kind character are you?: The one who always put his hand up to ask the question which everyone else wanted to but were afraid to ask: the one who belonged to all the  groups or factions

If you were a fruit, what would it be?: A grape because I like company

What do you think will be surprising about India?: I visit India once, sometimes twice each month . But it still surprises me each time. This time I want to experience those surprises through the eyes of those for whom it will be a first visit. 

What has been difficult about preparing for India?:  This trip started as an idea in January and only started  getting traction in May/June. Everyone scrambled to get all the logistics in place and some are still being finalised. But we will get it done. Choosing this FIRST group for this inaugural trip was a challenge and I think we have chosen well. 

How do you hope to be different after this trip to India?: I have been involved in multiple groups of visitors to India including high schoolers, but never so intensively or emotionally and with such a diverse group. I hope to learn a lot about myself and India as I see it through new eyes.


Cassie1Name: Cassie Denbow

Hometown: Cleveland, Ohio 

What is your favorite book?: Currently? The Wind Up Bird Chronicles by Haruki Murakami. This answer changes frequently based on what resonates, fascinates, and makes me keep reading, I find Murakami’s imagery of the occasional need to find a deep, dark well and sit in it as a place of healing,  both enchanting, and just really logical.  Runners up include: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson, and anything written by Mary Oliver. 

Give one random fact about you?: All 4 schools I’ve gone to ( including university) had blue and white as the primary school colors. 

 In class what kind character are you?: The one that always gets stern looks for talking with friends. There’s just so much to say! 

If you were a fruit, what would it be?: A mango. Definitely a mango. For no other reason than the fact that I recently discovered how much I love Indian mangoes and really can’t get enough. 

What do you think will be surprising about India?: Two consecutive years of living in India later, I am still always surprised by something. I’m excited, though I won’t be at all surprised, to listen to how our conversations and reflections progress over the course of the trip. I’m also really excited to visit Rishi Valley while the students are in school. I visited in April and it was spectacularly beautiful ( and hot). The energy of the school in session can only make it even better. 

What has been difficult about preparing for India?: Balancing time with family and friends during my annual trip to the US with the varying needs of passport processing and cross-continent coordination. I couldn’t be more honored to balance both of these fantastic things at once however. 

How do you hope to be different after this trip to India?: I hope to re-see India, a country that has been, and continues to be,  an immense catalyst for learning for me,  through the eyes of all of you, and as a result, see India a bit differently.


Eli2

Name: Eli Monroe

Hometown: Redwood Valley, California

What is your favorite book?: Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck (a book about the true value of companionship, and the inner-workings of how we justify selfish acts)

Who are you?: I am a person that loves having fun working with serious matters. I come from a small but beautiful town in California, I now live in Bangalore, India.  I came here in 2010 as an AIF Clinton Fellow, when I worked to engage Indian youth in social action and helped them create solutions to problems they faced in their communities. I really believe that young people are the key to fixing a lot of the world’s problems .

Give one random fact about you?: I once organized a group of people pretending to be pirates that stormed the opening of Pirate of the CaribbeanWe made the front page of the local newspaper. 

In class what kind character are you?: Class Clown, but a diligent worker

If you were a fruit, what would it be?: Durian – rich in character but quick to smell too much on a hot day

What do you think will be surprising about India?: I have spent almost 6 years in India, and still continue to be surprised.  I am excited to see how India responds to this group of American high school students.  We will meet a lot of people on this trip that will be meeting Americans for the first time.  It will not only be my first time visiting some of the places on our itinerary with a group of youth, but it will be my first time to Ahmedabad ever. 

What has been difficult about preparing for India?: It was hard to select a group to come on this trip because so many great people applied.  In the end, I am really happy with the team we have chosen.  I also have seen that passports have been a challenge, but I know we can figure it all out. 

How do you hope to be different after this trip to India?: I think this trip will be just as much an opportunity for the leaders of the the trip to grow as it will be for the students. I see myself working fluidly with my team and learning from the students as we see, smell, feel, hear, and react to India together.  Everyday will end with seminars, and some of the topics I am looking forward to are: diversity, religion, prejudice, tolerance, commonality, and growth. I really think this group represents America, in all its richness and variety better then what the world is used to seeing, and being in India as a part of that representation will be a fresh and challenging experience for me.  


IraName: Ira Abrams

Hometown: Montreal, Canada

What is your favorite book?: De Finibus Bonorum et Malorum, by Cicero. No, really! It used to be THE classic introduction to classical Greek and Roman philosophy (way before I was born). I’ve only read the English translation (On the Ends of Good and Evil), but my copy is covered with marks. It’s a dialogue among a group of friends who discuss the major Western philosophical systems and try to determine which one leads to the best life. Once I read that, I understood some things about the world. 

Give one random fact about you?: I make an awesome balsamic vinegar salad dressing.

In class what kind character are you?: I raise my hand but I forget what I was going to say.

If you were a fruit, what would it be?: Pineapple–I’m sweet on the inside. 

What do you think will be surprising about India?: I lived in India when I was 6, for a year, and I went back in 1990 and 1992. But since then, India has gone through enormous changes. I wonder how much will be familiar and how much unfamiliar. 

What has been difficult about preparing for India?: Believing that I am really going on this trip was the only hard part for me. It took a few days for that to kick in. But other than that, it’s so exciting to be part of the process that these young people are going through, and they are so excited and committed, that no matter how many hours we have to wait in the post office for the passport lady to show up, it cheers me up.

How do you hope to be different after this trip to India?I already feel that I am part of something really powerful as a result of the preparation for this trip. I hope to continue to be part of a team that includes all the people involved in this trip and to feel more confident in my own ability to bring people together in this sadly divided world.