After Doha, I made a quick trip to Mumbai to see my maternal grandmother (Nani) and spend some time with my uncles, aunts and cousins. It was so much fun to see all of them again, and to eat incredibly delicious food at every meal, get lost amidst the rapid Marathi conversations swirling around me, listen to old and new Hindi film songs, watch a Bollywood movie, feel surprisingly comfortable and safe in the busy and bustling market place at Vile Parle, and just hang out with and enjoy the company of my cousins, Trisha and Veer. We have been friends and clowns for each other ever since we were kids.

My summer was not yet over, however, as I was able to return to Dallas for another exciting opportunity. I worked as a Marketing Intern at the Container Store headquarters in Coppell, TX from June 8th to July 31st 2015. What an amazing company The Container Store is! More than just a company that sells beautiful and functional organization tools, The Container Store (TCS) is also known as an organization that practices Conscious Capitalism in the true spirit of the term. The thoughtful and careful way in which they conduct their business and actively align the interests of all stakeholders is practically unheard of in corporate America.

The seven Foundation Principles of TCS guide and inspire all the employees all the time. http://standfor.containerstore.com/our-foundation-principles/. My top-2 personal favorites are:

1) “Fill the Other Guy’s Basket to the Brim..” because to me it seems to be an excellent interpretation of the Golden Rule: Do unto others. And

2) “Intuition does not come to an unprepared mind..” because to me, it says: Practice makes Perfect. Or as the famous quote says: the Harder I work, the Luckier I get.. or even, the More you sweat in training, the Less you bleed in battle!

My tasks at the Container Store during my internship were varied and interesting, and included the following super-exciting activities:

•helping with the company’s Leadership Conference in June

•signing up non-profit partners to participate in the new holiday campaign of TCS: Holiday Hugs (which is going on now–please stop by a Container Store location and drop off a toy if you can).

The Leadership Conference was held at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in June and featured amazing and inspiring speakers like Prof. Raj Sisodia, Co-founder of Conscious Capitalism, Prof. Ed Freeman “father” of Stakeholder Theory; Walter Robb, Co-CEO of Whole Foods Markets; Bob Jordan, EVP and Chief Commercial Officer of Southwest Airlines; and Caryl Stern, President and CEO of the US Fund for UNICEF. Each of these leaders spoke from their heart and shared their conscious ideas, beliefs and advice that touched the hearts of all in the audience, including myself. Kip Tindell, Sharon Tindell and Melissa Reiff are CEO, CMO and COO respectively of the Container Store. They were very considerate and generous hosts and made everyone attending the Leadership Conference feel very comfortable and special.

I really loved working at the Container Store. My colleagues in the Marketing department of TCS were some of the most incredible, interesting and fun people I have met! A long day at the office was a breeze – thanks to their company and guidance. They embodied the company’s first Foundation Principle: 1 great person =3 good people.

I wrote two posts for the company’s corporate culture blog What We Stand For while I was there, which say it all. Please read when possible. Here are the links:

(http://standfor.containerstore.com/interns-perspective-of-a-concious-company; and

http://standfor.containerstore.com/conversation_with_vp_of_cultural_programs_and_community_relations

My internship with the Container Store was an once-in-a-lifetime experience that made my summer totally enriching and rewarding! A big, heartfelt Thank You to everyone who made it possible.

2015 began wonderfully for me! After a long and grueling process of “rush” in January, I was able to join my first-choice sorority. Though rather nerve-wracking and stressful at that time, it has proved very worthwhile for me, as I have made some fantastic new friends, met older girls that I would otherwise not have interacted with, and begun an exciting journey of fun and adventure! Joining this sorority has added so much color and flavor to my college experience, and I am happy to now serve on the executive board of my chapter.

My advice for anyone about to jump into the sorority (or fraternity) rush process: be discreet, be interested, and most importantly be Yourself. Ultimately, you do want to end up with a group of girls (or boys) who like you for who you are, and who you like for who they are. Otherwise, four years in college may seem long, boring and unending, and the social and fun aspect of your life at college could be jeopardized.
For me, it will always be KKG!

After the close of a successful spring semester of my freshman year in May 2015, I immediately traveled to Doha, Qatar, to begin a short summer internship at the World Innovation Summit for Education (the organization that awarded Pratham co-founder Dr. Madhav Chavan with the WISE Prize for Education in 2012 – considered to be the Nobel Prize in Education). Traveling to a foreign country by myself was a little scary for sure, but I found it to be one of the most gratifying experiences I have ever had. I was (and am) very fortunate that my uncle, Samir-mama was/is based in Doha, and made excellent arrangements for my stay there. My accommodation, transportation, safety, security and well-being were all well taken care of. I am very grateful to him for his kindness, generosity and hospitality.

The WISE office is located in a cozy villa on the brand new, beautiful and sprawling campus of the Qatar Foundation ( http://www.wise-qatar.org/) and is run by a small but mighty team of dynamic and interesting individuals from around the world, led by the charismatic and amazing Mr. Stavros Yiannouka. This group of ten or so is charged with organizing and overseeing the world’s largest annual meeting of educational leaders, and providing much-needed funding to educational projects around the world. In addition, WISE sponsors an exciting program called WISE Learners’ Voice Program which brings the perspectives of young people to the challenge of rethinking education, and equips them to take on leading roles in their fields and in the world of education. WISE Awards, WISE Accelerator, WISE Books are other initiatives that keep the team busy.

My main task at WISE was to compile background reports on various nominees for the 2015 WISE Prize. As I read and gathered information about these unique individuals, I found myself profoundly inspired, and sometimes moved to tears, by the stories I read–of men and women so driven by their belief in the power of education and their love for the people of their native country that they have dedicated their life to providing the light of learning to the most vulnerable and marginalized amongst us. Writing those reports, after years of volunteering for Pratham, took my appreciation for the work that Pratham does, and my understanding of the challenges it faces, to a whole new level. I am so pleased to see that Dr. Sakena Yacoobi was announced as the winner of the 2015 WISE prize earlier this month–she was one of my favorites! (http://www.wise-qatar.org/2015-wise-prize-education-sakena-yacoobi)

While working at WISE, I also grabbed another opportunity for personal growth. After studying Arabic for a year in college, I was very lucky to find an excellent tutor at the Qatar Foundation, Mr. Abdul Al Hamid who was able to help me considerably in understanding the nuances of this complex language. Living in an Arabic speaking country for a month also gave my language skills a much-needed boost! When I returned to WashU for my sophomore year and restarted my Arabic studies, I realized how important my brief but invigorating stint in Doha was.

My internship at WISE taught me again how precious, invaluable and priceless a quality education is, and how difficult it is for millions of children and esp. girls across the globe to access it. I feel distressed to know that so many of us in the US take this privilege for granted – looking for and complaining about little inconveniences and flaws, instead of celebrating our good fortune and using it to help others take the first steps on the path to progress and prosperity. My experience in Qatar made me more all the determined to promote the cause of education at every opportunity.

Please support the education of underprivileged girls in India by making a donation today. Any amount is most appreciated: http://seeyourimpact.org/members/divyak/

To be continued in the next essay:
My wonderful experience as a summer intern at a most conscious company, The Container Store!