Hello! My name is Ameya Sanyal and I’m an incoming Trinity Freshman. While I’ve lived in Madison, WI for the past 12 years, I was born in Roswell, NM. I use she/her/hers pronouns and live with my parents, Amit and Paulomi, my younger sister, Anika, and my goldendoodle, Zain.
When I was little, my dad used to host “Science Sundays.” From vinegar volcanoes to Dr. Seuss’s “oobleck,” I was captivated. These hands-on-activities — which I fondly called “kitchen experiments” — were only the beginning of my interest in science.
My family and I experimenting with our camera.
Throughout elementary and middle school, I eagerly awaited science class. I loved to learn about real-life examples; projectile motion came alive with classroom rocket demonstrations and nitrogen fixation took on meaning with a field trip to a teacher’s farm.
In high school, I became frustrated as the science classes seemed to only cover core concepts. Although I recognized the importance of building a strong foundation in biology, chemistry and physics, I wanted to know more about the applications of basic scientific principles.
At this juncture, my interest in social studies began to grow. I joined various activist and leadership groups and explored the link between people and social change. In electives such as Government & Politics and Psychology, I could immediately see how skills such as knowing my rights and understanding my behavior in a nature-nurture context were valuable.
In the future, I’d like to become an activist-doctor and interact directly with patients while uniting with other physicians to pursue social change. Consequently, I hope to pursue an interdisciplinary major combining political science and medicine.
My family and I celebrating Diwali, the festival of lights.
At Duke, I’d like to explore how communication across disciplines can result in increased health and wellness. As an aspiring Global Health and Biology double major, I am excited to think critically about the driving forces between social inequities and brainstorm how new scientific discoveries can be utilized in finding a solution to public health crises.
I am looking forward to writing about the impact of social determinants on health and wellness and emerging healthcare research and technologies. Apart from being a member of the research team, I hope to get involved with GlobeMed and the Hindu Students Association. If you see me volunteering in the Durham community or at Hindu celebrations, please say hi!
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