In India, tenth-graders complete what Americans would consider high school. Indian teenagers make life choices at that point, their options framed by scores on the national exams. Choosing to attend college at home is a career focused direction that many take. Some choose an International Baccalaureate. Very few make the choice Tanya Panicker did. No cohort of her friends pretested the route Tanya pursued—attending a college preparatory boarding school in the United States.
“It seemed like a more exciting, more unfamiliar choice that would give me international exposure, too,” Tanya explains. “I liked the option of broad liberal arts courses, extracurriculars, and living at a boarding school, all rolled together. I’m an only child, and the idea of living in a dorm with other students always intrigued me. I applied to Milton on a whim.”
Yes, many things about life at Milton were new and unexpected. The busy, structured schedule was unfamiliar, as were the classes, sports, activities, meals, dorm life and the rules that make everything tick. The biggest surprise for Tanya may have been that the culture shock didn’t feel so big. “The people at Milton, and in Robbins House, really made me and the other new girls feel part of something,” Tanya remembers. “I didn’t expect the house to be so welcoming and inclusive. I may not have found that elsewhere; it has a lot to do with Milton students—their openness, their awareness of other cultures. I took great comfort in my friends and the adults here. I will always be a Robbins girl.”
Even during the frightening time of terrorist bombings in Mumbai, Tanya felt tangible support around her. “Not being home during the bombings was scary,” she says. “But having people around me who aren’t even connected to India feel so much for me really helped. My parents were happy to know I was safe and cared for; they were glad I was away during that time.”
Academically, Milton differed as well, but Tanya was excited rather than daunted. “Science at Milton, for instance, helped me like studying science much better,” she says. “At home, my classes were more theoretical, so I had the fundamentals. Here, I got to use them; the focus is on labs, and on applying the content. In history, too, we’re taught to think and to understand the issues. Being able to ask good questions and talk with people around the table was new. I loved it.”
She wasn’t reluctant to dive into activities. She loved Speech Team, Model U.N. and being an SECS senior (Students Educating the Community about Sex). What worked so well? Why were the bumps in the road manageable? “I relied on my independence,” Tanya says. “I was a shy child at home. Now I’m able to form my own opinion without worrying about it being different. Every person at Milton is different. I’m not afraid of that. In this community, having an opinion is valued. I have a better understanding of people, too. I was stubborn, and now I’m cooperative. I’ve learned how to work in a group.”
As she begins the engineering program at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign this fall, she’ll continue to apply her parents’ most consistent message. The same message may have inspired her Milton choice, and foretold her success here. “No matter where you go, or what you do, it’s important to try new things,” Tanya relays their words. “When you choose to do something, ask yourself, ‘How is that different from everyone else? How are you making it your own?’”
CDE