Gaya M. (IN A NUTSHELL)

Gaya is a junior who is majoring in Psychology at Harvard and creating her own minor in Food. She works with the McNally lab to study trauma and also serves as a research assistant to both Dr. Alexandra Harrison, an expert in infant-parent mental health. Outside the classroom she is the Business and Comp Director of FIG. Magazine—Harvard’s fashion magazine, and is able to interact with brands from all over the world. Having grown up in India, she is a board member of the Harvard US-India Initiative and active within the international student community as a FIP leader. Gaya aspires to work in the hospitality industry and has spent some time as a chef in Michelin-starred kitchens at two restaurants: Blue Hill at Stone Barns and Dirt Candy. Gaya speaks 5 languages and is passionate about learning even more about different cultures through their languages. She also loves learning about new cultures through their cuisines; she ran the cooking club in high school and can often be found experimenting with culinary techniques, setting off fire alarms one kitchen at a time but eventually learning something valuable. She spearheaded the leadership series, which connected Indian pioneers ranging from business tycoons to Bollywood personalities with students at her high school. She also served as editor-in-chief for the press coverage body of Asia’s largest THIMUN conference. She got the opportunity to go to The Hague to provide press coverage at THIMUN. Gaya served two terms on student government and played for her high school's soccer team for all four years. She is also an avid skier who has been certified by École du Ski Français. Before starting at Curious Cardinals, Gaya spent 6 years as a teaching aid at a school for students with different learning needs, working on everything from helping high school students with art projects to helping lower school students articulate and regulate their emotions. Because of her special education background, she believes that inclusion and diversity must be present in every classroom and that it is important that education equips learners with emotion management skills and critical thinking.