Meet Riya Yadav, MEM student and Thayer Community Fellow:
I grew up in Jabalpur, a city in central India, surrounded by strong women. My mother built her own school from scratch with teachers and aunties who didn't take no for an answer. I watched her take a vision and turn it into reality. That's why women's empowerment will always be at the heart of everything I do. When you grow up with that kind of energy, it becomes part of who you are.
When I moved to Bangalore for college, everything changed. I went from feeling like a big fish in a small pond to being completely out of my depth. But that's where I learned the most important lesson: you don't wait for opportunities. You create your own luck.
I threw myself into student organizations, into building community, into finding my footing. After two years in the professional world, I realized I wanted to explore more of what I'm capable of, more of the world. That's what brought me to Dartmouth.
Growing up, basketball was my favorite unwinding mechanism. These days, I decompress with true crime documentaries and spending time with my close circle. Give me deep conversations with a few people I love, and I'm good.
That's my story. A girl from Jabalpur learning to take up space in bigger and bigger rooms, one step at a time.
