I have had the pleasure of knowing Sonal Shah for about six years. In the six years I have come to respect her for her ethics, passion, and enthusiasm for service work; she has mentored me and really embodied Gandhi’s quote of “Be the change you wish to see in the world.” She challenges me on a daily basis not only to view the world from multiple perspectives but also to move from thought to action. She is an elder sister and treats my daughter as her own and my husband as her brother.

I had come to know her and her family, including her parents and siblings, when I was chosen as an Indicorps fellow in the first year of the program. I had actually not known anything about her before I met her through this program. As soon as I began having conversations with her, both over the phone and in person, she struck me as someone who pushed me to look past generalizations and stereotypes. She pushed me to remove my “Western Lens” when I thought about India and really think about how Indians see India. To remove my Western lens, she encouraged me to have whatever conversations with whomever to ensure that my perspective is fully informed; I believe she does this in her own life.

Since my year in India, I have continued my friendship with Sonal and am sincerely proud of my relationship of my relationship with her.