Ishanya Anthapur: Ishy (USA)Ishanya Anthapur: Ishy (USA)

Ishy is a student intern and CURLS 2018 participant studying Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Princeton University.

 Curls 2018 has given me the gift of impetus. While I’ve been a generally knowledgeable citizen about ongoing crises and world issues, I haven’t always been the most active person. At one point in my life I thought, “I do not want to get involved in politics because it won’t really affect me- I will just continue to live my life like a normal person.” However, CURLS has really woken me up to the fact that I have not only the power but also the responsibility to shape and change the world for the better. It has re-inspired my commitment to live an environmentally friendly lifestyle by committing to participating less in consumerism and trying to conserve as much as possible. I am motivated to be an active resident in the world and fight for rights and equality for all living and non-living things. CURLS has taught me the importance of community and teamwork to accomplish different tasks. Mostly, I enjoyed meeting so many new friends and hearing all of their truly admirable stories. This is a group of people that will stay with me for a lifetime.