If I told you I could grant you three wishes. What would you wish for? Think about it for a second. We’ll come back to them later. 

28th August 2010

I was 13 years old when I went to my mom’s room on a cosy night. She was reading a book called The Secret.

And so I asked, “What’s the secret?”

She looked up, smiled mysteriously, and said, “You can have anything you want in life. The universe will make it happen.”

Naturally, as a budding physics student and full-time teenage skeptic, I responded:
“Okay… but how?”

She explained, “It’s something called the Law of Attraction. Your thoughts are energy. You send them out, and the universe finds a way to return them to you.”

I replied, “Well, I’ve never seen that law in a textbook.”

She laughed and said, “Maybe not. But there’s no downside to thinking big. Let’s just try it.”

She handed me a piece of paper and said, “Write down everything you want — even the crazy stuff.” So I did.

Number one on the list? Every teenage boys #1 wish.

“I want a PlayStation.” 

And then I kept going. Eventually after writing down all the things I wanted at the moment, I started to write down wishes for the future. A lot of things that seemed fully impossible at the time. 

She told me to seal the paper in an envelope.

I handed it to her, and honestly, forgot all about it.

Fast forward twelve years.

Two weeks before I left for Kellogg, we were doing some spring cleaning, and — no joke — that very envelope resurfaced.

Still sealed. Still intact. She hadn't opened or read it.

My mom, I’m happy to report, passed the vibe check.

And so I took a peek. I had forgotten what I had written. I was nervous but also excited to see what I had written and whether it had happened or not.

Anybody curious how it turned out? Does the law of attraction actually work? Let’s take a look

One of the first things I had written down was

My dad did his MBA from IIM Ahmedabad — the best B-school in India.

I remember him once telling me how Kellogg used to be the dream school while he was at his MBA. Marketing was the hottest career option, and Kellogg was the holy grail for Marketers. It took me a while to truly grasp what coming to Kellogg meant. Now on my last day here, I understand.

Rankings go up and down and the quality of education will change. But Kellogg has remained. It is one of the M7 schools. The best school itself is subjective. But I have come to realize that Kellogg was the best one for me.

In two years, I have learnt how business empires have risen and fallen and everything in. I have learnt what it takes to be an impactful leader who leads with empathy and grit. And I have developed the toolkit that will allow me to be a changemaker.

The kind of growth I experienced here — the stretching, the learning and unlearning, the intense joy and sometimes uncomfortable reflection — transformative is an understatement.

So as I walk the stage today, this one is for my family. My dad set the bar, so that I could aim to be here. My mom gave me the strength to make my dreams a reality. My sister, who is also my best friend, was with me all throughout this adventure.

I hope they are proud of me. Because somewhere, a 13-year-old version of me wrote this down and believed it.

What my mom said echoed again in my mind.

The next thing on the list was even more crazy

At the time when I wrote that, I had just picked up the guitar. I was mesmerized by our school band’s lead guitarist — he was the coolest kid in our school and I wanted to be him. 

For me, music became a way to creatively process thoughts and emotions I didn’t know how to say out loud. It was my safe space. In another world I would have loved to pursue music full time, but try convincing your Asian parents of that notion.

But still, I never imagined I’d play in front of an actual crowd, I had only ever played alone in my bedroom.

When I found that list again right before Kellogg, I laughed.
“Yeah okay, Universe. Good luck making this one happen.”

Then I saw the Kellogg band play at our first TG (The friday happy hours we have every week)

On a whim, I auditioned. I just wanted to force myself to touch a guitar again. I honestly did not think I would get in. The people that performed in the bands were extremely talented and confident. But by some divine intervention, or maybe a shortage or guitarists in the band, I made it in. 

And when I did, I immediately felt massive imposter syndrome, some of the others were really really good. But, at the same time I was happy to be there, because I was doing what I love. I worked hard on improving my skills and knowledge and showed up.

I still remember the build up to my first performance, I was repeatedly going through my music notes in the green room fearing I would blank and ruin the performance. But when I stepped on stage, music took over and the feeling was indescribable. 

Since then, I have played 10+ shows in some iconic venues all across Chicago.

A few weeks ago, I stood on stage at the Aragon Ballroom (where I have seen multiple of my favourite artists perform) — with my guitar in hand, and 2,000 people screaming their lungs out. I lived my literal dream on that stage. Shout out to my band Rockets for being there with me during probably the top 3 moments of my life. 

Next up, was something on the professional front

As someone who is extremely passionate about tech and product management, experiencing working at a FAANG or equivalent was also a dream. I never thought I had the skills to qualify for a role like this. I always doubted whether I would be able to clear interviews for companies like these.

I was very grateful to have received offers from Adobe, Amazon and Google. I ended up choosing Google because it took me to New York and I got to work at YouTube Music, combining my passion for technology and music.

The three months I spent at Google were special. I met so many smart and driven people and understood how large companies function and develop products while maintaining an awesome work culture.

Also the perks at Google were unbelievable and so were the office buildings. And I can definitely say I fully leveraged them while I was there.

At the time of writing that list, I had never left India.
We weren’t in a place financially to even think about international travel. All I had were movies, and books. 

And yet, before Kellogg, I got to live and experience the wonderful worlds of Hong Kong and Tokyo for 4 years each.

And during Kellogg… I spent a summer in the bustling New York and a winter in the tech heaven San Francisco. Many days and nights spent in the windy city Chicago and going to school in obviously the wildest of them all -  Evanston (lol)

From running around the UK during KWEST Amazing Race or leading the historical treasure hunt across the USA with KWEST National Treasure. From dancing the nights away in Colombia to sailing the Turkish seas with 500 people. From road tripping around Armenia and Georgia, to relaxing on the beaches of Mexico. I danced on the streets in Rio and paid homage to Machu Picchu in Peru. And so much more in between.

Back then, these places felt like movie sets I’d never walk through. Now they’re photo albums I carry with me.

The world opened itself up to me in ways I never imagined possible. These places have inspired me, energized me and given me perspective and broadened my mind and thinking. I have a deep appreciation for the cultures and people that travel has enabled for me. 

At 13, I was introverted and awkward — and didnt have a lot of close friendships.
And I had never even met someone who wasn’t from India. So the idea of a global, diverse friend group felt like fantasy.

But here at Kellogg, I found that — and more.

My friends were there front row of every show I ever performed at, cheering me on and giving me the confidence and support to pursue my dreams. 

When I got injured at ski trip, with a potential risk of permanently losing my right arm, these were the friends that were my pillars of support, and gave me the courage to go through the intense surgery and recovery. 

And as I navigated the environment of Kellogg through emotional and academic challenges, these were the people who were along for the ride, going through these things themselves, still present for me. 

Kellogg made me feel included, and gave me people who see me, who push me, who hold me accountable, and who make me better. I have made friends for life. 

My introverted 13-year-old self would not believe how cool my friends are now. 

From the FaMMM, my KWESTS, The Kellogg Bands, Bots and my Pod (the one pod that actually still hangs out) my SF Immersion gang, and everyone else in between who made this journey amazing, thank you so much for being part of my lives, now and forever.

I graduate Kellogg with more than a 100 people I can call my friends, and I am so excited to see all of them grow and succeed!

Now — I’ll be honest.

Not everything I wrote came true.

I did write “I want to be absolutely ripped and have abs.”
That one… we’re still working on.

But here’s what I’ve realized:
If something hasn’t come true, maybe it’s just not yet or not needed.

After reading that wishlist after 12 years, I realized

I didn’t get everything I ever wanted. But I got everything I ever needed.

There was one final line on that list that I want to share.

It said:

4 years ago I had received the news from my mother that my uncle, her brother had taken his own life. He was someone who I considered a mentor and my buddy. He taught me how to drive, and took me our for late night ice creams.

He was intelligent, warm and deeply loved. But he had also been silently battling addiction and serious depression. Something he never talked about, or maybe it was something we never created space to listen to.

When I applied to Kellogg, I wrote that I wanted to honor his memory by making mental healthcare accessible and affordable in India.

I wanted to prevent a million lives lost to the struggles of mental health illnesses. I didn’t know how I’d do it. But I knew I had to try.

And now, two years later — I’ve found my path.

I spent my winter in San Francisco speaking to many founders and innovators in healthcare and learning from them. I volunteered as a music therapist at a psychiatric facility for the homeless where I developed deep empathy for the population that I want to serve. And I spent a lot of time interacting with therapists and people who take therapy to understand how best to solve their challenges. 

Through everything I’ve learned here, I’ve found the conviction and the courage to build something that matters. I started my own company a few months ago focusing on making mental healthcare accessible, affordable and desirable in India using latest technologies. 

My final quarter at Kellogg, we got a lot of valuable feedback and traction on our idea, reached the finals of many competitions and even won a few. With this validation, I’ll be moving back to India after graduation to work on it full-time. 

This mission I had written as a child, 

So what’s the point of all this?

Well, I guess I have a superpower.

Apparently, if I write something down, the universe will make it happen.
And today, as we all prepare to write our next chapter, I don’t want to gatekeep the universe.

Everybody should be able to enjoy the benefits of this superpower.

So I wrote one final list.

Not for me — but for the Kellogg Class of 2025:

So here goes

To the Kellogg Class of 2025

• I hope we are all at the forefront of innovation, of empathy, of global leadership.

• I hope we build careers that inspire — and lives that heal.

• I hope our bodies and minds stay strong, healthy, and resilient.

• I hope we have more than enough — in wealth, in time, in joy.

• I hope we find love — in our friends, our partners, our chosen families.

• I hope we all experience the unique corners and culture of the world that inspires us and makes us more united

• I hope we stay curious, stay creative, and purposeful

• I hope we, as a class, continue to push each other to be sharper, smarter, and above all, kinder.

• And finally, I hope, we each get to help a million people in our own way.

I still don't know whether this law or manifestation is real or not. But I can’t deny that something here works, maybe in its own mysterious ways. If we truly want something, we will work towards it and leverage opportunities to get closer to them. Sometimes even subconsciously. We all have this superpower. 

So now, remember those three wishes I said I could grant you in the beginning? Well three is too less, I give you all infinite wishes. When you go home tonight, write all of them down, and watch them unfold in front of your eyes.

You know the drill…