Exploration at Rutgers helped Rashmi Singh discover her unique path
'I love how big Rutgers is. I like meeting different kinds of people all the time. And I thrive on getting different perspectives.'– Rashmi Singh
When Rashmi Singh arrived at Rutgers, she encountered a college environment clearly distinct from the normal, everyday pace of life in her quiet hometown of Flemington just a short drive away. As she discovered, that was just the change she wanted.
Singh plugged into the social and intellectual currents felt throughout New Brunswick. In so doing, she stepped into multiple roles: proud Indian-American, captain of the cross-country team, literature student, public policy analyst and environmentalist. “I consciously get involved because I strongly believe in balance,” said Singh, a School of Arts and Sciences senior. “I’ve always avoided being entrenched in one way of thinking or in one way of being."
As she prepares to graduate this month and considers whether to pursue graduate study in public policy, Singh said she’ll miss the sense of wide open possibilities she enjoyed so much at Rutgers.
“I love how big Rutgers is,” she concluded. “I like meeting different kinds of people, and I thrive on getting different perspectives.”
That desire for balance fueled an eclectic undergraduate journey. For example, she drew connections between humanities and public policy, majoring in English at the School of Arts and Sciences (SAS) and minoring in environmental policy, institutions and behavior at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences (SEBS).
“I love literature, and the way it teaches us about the human condition,” she said. “With my minor, the intent was to work in a very specific way, at the local and global level, for the greater good.”
Singh’s education at Rutgers extended beyond classrooms and libraries. She participated in five community programs, including serving as a camp counselor for at-risk New Brunswick kids and as a conversation partner for adult immigrants learning English.
“It was important for me to get to know New Brunswick as a community, and not just be a student on campus,” Singh said.
Yet the environment itself provided another important avenue for personal transformation. She found a welcoming community of fellow Indian-American students – a small, supportive niche in the larger university constellation. “It felt very comfortable,” she said.