Hi! My name is Svasti Rathi (pronounced Swus-tee), I’m currently a junior at Mass Academy and my sending school is Grafton High School ! I was born in Worcester and lived there with my mom and dad until I was 6, and then we moved to Grafton. Academically, science is what interests me the most, specifically the anatomy of the body, and I strive to become an oncologist one day. In my free time, I love to travel, spend time with family and friends, read, and listen to music!
One of my favorite hobbies is to play the piano. I have been playing the piano since I was 5 years old, so about 11 years at this point. I have always enjoyed playing, as it gives me a time to be creative but also challenge my mind at the same time. It requires a lot of focus and patience, but I enjoy being able to play music for people that want to listen. For example, I used to learn Hindi songs and would record and send videos to my grandmother who lived in India, which was also a great way for me to bond with her while she was across the world. Whether it’s playing the pieces, repeating scales over and over again, or having to read theory books to understand the more technical stuff, I always love to play and find it so rewarding.
I also do an Indian Classical dance called Kathak. It originated in northern India, which is where my parents and family are from. I have been doing the dance since I was about 8 years old and currently learn from a teacher who lives in India. I have done multiple performances over the years, and you can see a picture of me in one of my dresses on the right. Kathak allows me to connect more deeply with my culture and traditions but still lets me be able to express my own emotions and creativity. Over the years, I have started to enjoy the dance form more and more and now I can’t imagine my life without it!
Whenever my family and I get the chance, we always love to travel to a new place around the world, but more specifically, around the United States. Since 2021, I have been on multiple cross-country road trips, the first one being from Massachusetts to California and back, and my most recent being from Massachusetts to Seattle and back. It is a terrifying thought, just being on the road for hours on end so far away from home, but once you reach your destination, everything feels worth it. During each trip, I was able to visit countless cities and towns, meet so many amazing people, roam around multiple national parks, and just learn so much about the US, and it is such an amazing experience. Whenever we’re not on a road trip, me and my family are most likely visiting India, as we try to go at least once a year to visit family and stay connected to our roots. However, we still love to branch out and visit other countries, my favorites being the Netherlands and the UAE!
The summer before my Junior year, I started doing community service at the Mass Audubon Broadmoor Wildlife Sancutary in Natick. Every weekend, I go to the sanctuary and help out in the visitor center, usually checking people in so they can go on our trails and making sales if they want something from the gift shop. Broadmoor and all of the Mass Aubudon locations all strive to protect the wildlife, advocate for land restoration, and just provide an overall great experience for people to enjoy and experience nature, and I love that I am able to help the institution with their goals. I love nature and national parks in general, so being able to help out in a more local spot is very special to me. Volunteering there has helped me a lot with my responsibility and people skills, giving me a lot of valuable opportunities and experiences, along with giving me time to connect back with nature and give me a break from the screens and other work that I may have. I have also done volunteering for multiple other institutions, such as the UMass Milford Regional Medical Center , Special Olympics , the NorthSouth Foundation , and the Grafton Gazebo Road Race. These experiences have helped me develop a lot of important skills like teamwork, communication, and adaptability, while also giving me the opportunity to help multiple diverse communities that mean a lot to me.