By Jaya Kolluri

Starting her early Winsor journey as a fifth grader in Class I, Rani Balakrishna ’21 has been a long standing member of the Winsor community. From starting out as a middle schooler, graduating as a senior was a bittersweet moment for Rani; “It was definitely sad to leave Pilgrim Road, but I knew that there were other things waiting out there for me after Winsor.”

Now a freshman at Brandeis University, Rani takes on the college lifestyle in stride. With her major currently undecided, Rani has shown clear interests in legal studies and journalism during her first semester in college. Even before deciding to attend Brandeis, Rani knew she wanted to attend journalism courses or even minor in that area. As the head of the Sports Pod in Winsor’s Banner, Rani notes how she enjoyed her time writing about sports and athletics. At Brandeis University, majors aren’t typically declared until second year or third semester, so Rani intends to use this time wisely and continue to explore her interests in politics. In addition to navigating through her academic life on campus, Rani was also recently elected as the Senator for the Brandeis Student Union.. Rani states, “We function sort of like Collect, in the sense that we manage clubs, fundings, and vote on campus events for the general well being of the community.” Her strong leadership and communication skills that she developed over her years at Winsor through various clubs and organizations such as SASA, clearly make an impact on how she is able to navigate through college. Overall, Rani loves her new chapter as she makes “a lot of friends and can’t wait to see what happens next!” 

Looking back at her Winsor years, Rani wanted to share this piece of advice: Enjoy the moment you are in. She reflects, “I felt like the time flew by in high school, but at the same time I’m glad I had so much fun with my classmates and teachers.” It is clear that Rani’s Winsor spirit continues to be a driving force as she embarks on her journey.