In the past couple of years, I have been asked by many well-wishers to identify my passion. I have to have a story. I must be about something. My life, at 17 years and some months, must already mean something. I decided to attend the YYGS program hoping it would help me figure out the exact thing I want to pursue in my life. Help me figure out what it is that I want to do. That didn’t happen, and trust me when I say that I’m glad it didn’t.
Instead, it taught me to be patient, to think deeply, to keep exploring, and not to rush. It showed me the importance of questioning everything I encounter, especially those things I instinctively accept as true. I realized that only by asking the right questions about what I believe, will I truly understand what to stand by, what to fight for.
YYGS is not just a four-letter abbreviation for ‘Yale Young Global Scholars.’ It’s the seminars, the odd dinner hours, the midnight brainstorms, karaoke sessions, and inside jokes that only make sense if you were there.
In the midst of all this fun, I also found myself appreciating my country in a way I never had before. So what if it’s a little polluted, a little crowded, or a little too hot in the summers? It’s still home. YYGS was fun—seriously fun—but it also made me realize that no matter how far I go or how many incredible people I meet, home will always be where my heart is. It will always be India. YYGS made me see where I come from. It felt like discovering a place I’ve known all my life all over again.
I can’t tell you for certain what you will learn from this program because I’ve understood that everyone takes back something different with them. But what I am certain about is that if you attend this program, you will learn to appreciate aspects of your own life that you might never have before because YYGS is a place for discovery, a place to learn, and a place to grow.
Samaira, YYGS 2024, India