Every morning, at around 11:45 AM, I head to Irvington’s Room 52 from Horner Junior High, where my first couple classes of the day are. My shift at Irvington begins 4th period, with a class I can only describe as both passionate and compassionate. In fact, despite only being 3 weeks in, I am extremely proud of my students and their progress with our language. Usually, my general strategy is to introduce students to Indian culture and tradition, and tie that to our linguistic history and structure. The kids have caught on so quickly– and I’m so excited for Hindi’s future in the Fremont Unified District. 

In my youth, I fared extremely well in my academics. Considering it was India’s competitive environment, this brought me a sense of accomplishment, and as my peers came to me for help on homework or tests, I began to develop a love for teaching. From there, I pursued a PHD in Hindi, my best subject, at CSU East Bay in Hayward. At first, I taught at MBK Hindi, a tutoring center with an Indian-style education for children to reconnect with their roots, for 16 years. But in 2022, I was offered a job as lecturer at Stanford University, where I taught for the next 2 years. I always wanted to return to the school environment, and in 2024, I got exactly that at Irvington. 

Since I teach the same course at the middle school and high school in the area, I’ve noted how different yet similar my kids are. Despite the age gap though, all of my students have been keeping up with the material, and the environment is always very lively. 

As we move forward, I hope to see Hindi gain the traction Spanish, French, and Chinese all had, with events and activities that include students beyond my own classroom.