V. Pernot Photography

Nirali is a 21-year old Indian-American woman who empowers her culture and heritage in her daily life at the University of Michigan. She surrounds herself with friends while she maintains a sense of cultural connection. She is a sincere pre-med student who juggles 2 extra-curricular activities, she does research at a biology lab, maintains a rigorous curriculum, and she is currently interviewing across the country at medical schools. All of this seems impressive on the surface, but to top it all off, Nirali is one of the most positive people I have ever met who constantly has a smile on her face&mdash.

My main reason for following this well-rounded woman is because she is so in tune with where she comes from and all that comes with that. She is president of an Indian American based organization that helps stop human trafficking in Southeast Asia. Nirali also has been fully committed to the Indian American Student Association (IASA) for four years now, which is an Indian American community organization that puts on one large-scale dance event each year with elaborate costumes and diverse Indian music often blended with pop hits. They practice for a total of around 8-10 hours a week with practices that go until 2am at times. While many people on Michigan’s campus choose to pursue social groups based on personal interests, social interests, and professional interests, Nirali has chosen to pursue a social life centered on her cultural similarities to others.