Growing up, family vacations to India were new adventures each trip. A new country, new faces, new experiences. Similar to my fascination with the foreign country, my cousins and relatives were equally intrigued by my life in America. “Will you show us American currency?” they’d ask, “What’s it like to play in the snow?” In additional to their fascination with my world, my family would ask me, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” At a budding age of eight, I’d confidently respond: I wanted to be President of the United States! It seems that at a young age, I had always harbored the desire to be a leader. I never settled for “adequate” but rather, my goals were always overarching and grand. And while Commander in Chief was an intensive goal for a third grader, all I knew was that I wanted to spark change—to be a female President, to be the first Indian American in office. More importantly, I wanted to take charge of my visions and live in a world of possibilities where the world’s challenges could by surmounted.[1] We all possess these desires; mine seemed to develop at a younger age.
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| Leaders of the past: hammering thoughts into unity. |
Today, I see this inherent desire as inspiration for my future goals. President of the United States may not be the most manageable goal, but I know that I had enough courage and will power to only expect the greatest of me. Today, I see myself still tackling these very goals—making a difference and becoming a leader. High school was an opportunity for me to dive into worldly issues that interested me the most. As a young adult, I felt as if I was blindly living life amidst a sea of other students. I was screaming to be recognized and set apart from the masses. My childhood intrigue and curiosity was replaced with personal insecurities and anxiety. Call it an existential crisis if you will, but I found myself without longing passion or purpose. Participating on the debate team offered a medium for my curiosity. Political issues of women’s rights and social equality sparked my attention the most. Since then, I have shaped my ideologies, interests, and academic focus around the social interests of the misrepresented. As far as my action plan is considered, I believe that this path in fact, began even before attending college. A component to practicing leadership is dedication to ones passion. There are times to live life spontaneously and then there are stages that require conscious planning. After all, a goal without a plan is just a haphazard wish. During these early stages of college, I plan to explore my interests both academically and personally. Within one’s journey, there are small milestones that contribute to the overall vision. One of these conscious “epiphanies” occurred the summer before my freshman year at UT. The first feminist theory book I ever read ignited a new passion in my life. Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique critiques society’s demand for conformity and gender binaries. Friedan exclaims, “A woman is handicapped by her sex, and handicaps society, either by slavishly copying the pattern of man’s advance in the professions, or by refusing to compete with man at all”. [2] At a time when women were relegated to unfair stereotypes and expectations, Friedan sparked a new wave of American feminism in the 1960s. Along with her writing, she actively participated in women’s rights reforms. Just as Friedan piloted new political justices, I saw myself as a leader in social change towards equality.
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| "most controversial bestseller" of the 1960s |
At the micro level, I see myself joining university-wide and local organizations that value similar aspirations. On the night of my high school graduation, my father told me, “Sonali, your years in college will the best time of your life. Don’t let your fervent drive go to waste and use this freedom to overcome any obstacle life throws at you”. Along my collegiate journey, manageable goals include interning or working for a House member or Senator of the Texas Legislature who shares similar priorities. This exposure provides additional leadership experience following prominent political leaders. After my undergraduate studies, I hope to apply my education in a more worldly sense. My studies of macroeconomics and microeconomics have allowed me to apply statistics to the changes and trends of today’s society. I also see several prospective classes that will benefit my educational journey. For instance, I will be taking an Introduction to Gender Studies course this summer as an elective class. The class will address global human rights issues affecting modern women. Additionally, I’d like to expand my field of knowledge by taking a diverse range of classes. College is an opportunity to flourish both intellectually and experientially. Whether it be a Calculus 408K class or Introduction to Anthropology the limits for academic opportunities are boundless. Recent writing-intensive courses have also contributed to my academic exploration. I have been able to fully express thoughts, and synthesized arguments through the voice of good writing. This powerful tool can help me in the future by spreading my ideas to the world. Specifically, writing assignments in World Literature has demanded that I write with passion and capture the reader in a unique way. Once again, this skill will only positively contribute to my future goals and plans.My most interesting class this year is Art History: Survey of the Renaissance to Modern Art. From Van Eyck to Cezanne, each artist captures a moment in time through vivid symbolism and expression. Although this class does not necessarily pertain to my future career, the study of art and history has influenced me to travel and fully experience the world beyond the pages of a textbook.
Post-college, law school, government internships, and a career in a political field will bolster my ability to voice my vision for society. But apart from the obvious career exploration, I see my activism affecting society today. Recently, Texas Legislature has issued cuts towards women’s health programs like Planned Parenthood. State officials believe budget cuts will thwart citizens from supporting a “tax-evading abortion machine”.[3] Although Planned Parenthood does advocate abortion and other family planning services, the organization accounts for several other important services to women in need. [4] Services include low-cost pap screenings, breast exams, contraceptives, and clinical counseling. Ignorant state officials misinform the public about the ethics of Planned Parenthood in order to justify cutting funds from social services programs. It has become a recent goal of mine to rally in support of increased state funding for the non-profit organization. This includes volunteer work, rallying at the capitol and educating the public. Although one’s future plans are subject to change, ultimately I simply see myself pursuing what I am most passionate about. I cannot predict the next ten or twenty years, but I know my future promises a position where I represent those who are misrepresented and speak for those who cannot.
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| It's about Health and Safety. |
If you’ve taken the chance to lay in the Main Mall lawn, you immediately catch a glimpse of the majestic Texas Capitol. It’s grand stature remains a symbol of justice and social order. And just behind you, the UT tower stands as a beacon of knowledge. Just an architectural coincidence? I think not. As students we bridge these two institutions of knowledge and power for the better of our society. From the campus grounds, the Austin cityscape is a reminder of what we are capable of achieving and what advancements we will bring to society. Our achievements here spark transformative change for generations to come.
I believe tackling these challenges begins with exercising the knowledge I acquire from my major. A Plan II degree gives one the ability to explore multiple schools of thought, cross-apply different intellectual fields, and provides freedom to pursue personal academic interests. My second major, economics, offers me a more objective understanding of society. Economics requires one to analyze, interpret, and derive information based on social and mathematical trends. This scholastic intersection combines rational thinking with the study of humanities. Both majors have brought me to ask, at what point do we become willing to sacrifice liberty and equality in order to fulfill our personal wants and desires? While humanities explore our liberties and human principles, economics steers us to fulfill these “wants” or “demands” within the bounds of our limited resources. An economist would refer to this phenomenon as the opportunity cost—the trade-off between two mutually exclusive choices. Pardon me for my use of economics jargon, but my goal is to find the equilibrium between the social demands and the supply of our ability to bring about these changes.
So what are my demands? For one, the government (both local and federal) have an obligation to serve the people as equally and just as possible. In our very own city of Austin, elitist politicians suppress women’s sexual and reproductive rights. Projected budget cuts are not only an unwise economic decision, but also deny thousands of Texans without adequate healthcare. In addition to women’s healthcare, cuts are being made to public education funds and programs like Medicaid. And while cuts are made to assistance programs, the same politicians advocate tax cuts for the wealthy. Elsewhere, the suffering of other social groups are marginalized by unjust government policies.
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| The tower and state capitol share the Austin cityscape. |
Healthcare and education programs are not a privilege; they are a right assured by the government. Yet, we see these social inequalities going on in our campus’s own backyard. It’s up to us, as students, to demand that the state offer equal protect to its citizens. We often jump to criticize the political actions of our past government, yet we fail to recognize the injustices of our current government. In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson issued a national reparations program in response to the Asian Exclusion Act of 1924, which suspended immigration of East Asians and Indian Asians into the United States. Looking back at this policy, contemporary critics see the inherent racism of the act. Similarly, academics today must recognize the prejudice policies enforced by today’s authorities. Johnson explains, “This system violated the basic principle of American democracy—the principle that values and rewards each [hu]man on the basis of his[/her] merit as a [hu]man…”[5] If that is truly what democracy stands for, then we must defend our human rights at all costs. To ensure that democracy is progressive, I know that I will be an active citizen and leader to my community. I know that I will, and can help end sexual discrimination at the political level. And finally, I know I posses the drive to pursue these goals. In the current congress, women hold only 16% of the seats. Yet, women make up 51% of our country’s population. In response to such startling statistics, I hope to meet the demand of equal representation in the government. And by equal, I mean more women advocating social justice. For now, I see that these goals will be met with careful planning and determination. Till then, I am satisfied with being a student just following her dreams. As an eager leader, I see myself approaching issues locally and later working towards greater concerns.
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| Sonali Kalvala: current Longhorn, future Leader. |
[1] “Portrait of an ENTJ” http://www.personalitypage.com/ENTJ.html
[2] “The Feminine Mystique”
[3] Grimes, Andrea. “Sorry GOP, My Cancer Screening Are More Important Than Your Religious Beliefs” AlterNet. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. http://www.alternet.org/teaparty/150562/sorry_gop,_my_cancer_screenings_are_more_important_than_your_religious_beliefs/
[4] Garcia-Ditta, Alexa. "Will Misinformation Endanger Women's Health Program?." Texas Observer. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Apr. 2011. <httphttp://www.texasobserver.org/component/k2/item/17688-will-misinformation-endanger-womens-health-program://>.
[5] Anthology, 360.
Images:
1. NYCmarch8261970.jpg
1. NYCmarch8261970.jpg
2. Image4.jpg
3. itsabout.jpg
5. Photo taken by Joshua Wallace
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With quotes: 1,604
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