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When Adyasha Anindita ’28 stepped off the plane and into the heart of Iowa, it was her first time back in the United States since early childhood. Born in the Bay Area but raised in Bhubaneswar, India, Adyasha returned to begin a new chapter as a first-year student at �����������ϳԹ�. What she found here was far more than just rigorous academics and a quiet Midwestern town — she found a place to grow and a community to call her own. 

From India to the Prairie  

From a small city in India to a small town in Iowa, from classical Indian music to American choral traditions, from isolation to community — Adyasha’s first year at �����������ϳԹ� was about building belonging, one friendship, one song, and one shared moment at a time. 

“�����������ϳԹ� is… small,” Adyasha says, thinking back to her arrival on campus. “When you imagine America, you imagine tall cities and skyscrapers. It’s very beautiful here in Iowa but it kind of threw me off, in a good way.” 

Adyasha came to �����������ϳԹ� primarily for its strong academic reputation and generous financial aid. “Those were my top two reasons,” she says. But the college’s cultural diversity quickly proved just as meaningful.  

Coming from India, she anticipated some challenges adjusting to life in the United States, but what she didn’t expect was the rich mosaic of cultures she would find in a quiet corner of Iowa.  

“The college kind of portrays itself as having a lot of cultural diversity, and it’s not just advertising, it’s real,” she says. “I found a very nice group of friends here. Some of them are Japanese, some are Chinese, and some are Polish. It’s been really nice to expand my perspective by having friends from different backgrounds.” 

Music and Mentorship 

With a strong foundation in Indian classical music, Adyasha has always considered music an important part of her life. Before coming to �����������ϳԹ�, however, she had very little exposure to Western choral traditions. That didn’t stop her from replying to an email from Professor John Rommereim, the Blanche Johnson Professor of Music, in the summer before she began classes, expressing her interest in joining the �����������ϳԹ� Singers.

“I told him I would love to join, but I didn’t have much knowledge in western music theory or singing,” Adyasha recalls. “He actually offered to teach me — one hour every week, all summer. That was a huge commitment on his part, and I really appreciated that.” 

This personal attention and mentorship not only gave Adyasha the tools to successfully audition for the �����������ϳԹ� Singers, but it also gave her the confidence to overcome challenges that lay ahead and reaffirmed her decision to come to �����������ϳԹ�. 

Finding Her Voice — and Her People 

Joining the �����������ϳԹ� Singers came with its own hurdles. Rehearsals were long and intense, but the effort paid off. “Sometimes we’d have four hours of standing and singing,” Adyasha says. “But being part of the Singers helped me find a community of people who shared my passion. It was about more than just music. It was about belonging.” 

That sense of belonging was crystallized during the group’s spring tour, a multi-city journey through Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, and Iowa. “It was so much fun,” she said. “We played games on the bus, sang together, conducted songs. For first years especially, it was the first time we really bonded with the whole group.” 

One moment on the tour in particular stands out: A performance of “Oh My Love,” during which the singers left the stage to sing softly while surrounding the audience. “Many of the people were teary-eyed,” Adyasha recalls. “They turned to us and said, ‘I’m so happy I got to experience this.’ That was the highlight of the trip for me. That’s why we sing — to touch people’s hearts.” 

Adyasha says the �����������ϳԹ� Singers helped her recognize and embrace the differences among her fellow students. “They encourage you to be different — but also to be friends and learn from each other. If everyone tried to be the same, we’d lose so much.” 

That same ethos echoed in her experience with the International Pre-Orientation Program (IPOP). “At first, I didn’t think IPOP would be that important,” she admits. “But I met a few people, introduced them to my friends, they introduced me to theirs — and it just kind of went from there. In the long run, it really did shape my experience at �����������ϳԹ�.” 

The Journey Ahead 

As she looks forward to her sophomore year, Adyasha is eager to continue growing the community that welcomed her so warmly. She plans to get more involved in student organizations like the South Asian Student Organization and the International Students Organization, and hopes to support her peers through the Writing Mentors program. 

“I want to give back,” she says. “Because this place, these people, they’ve given me so much. I came to Iowa and made friends from around the world. �����������ϳԹ� is kind of the middle of nowhere, but it’s also the middle of everywhere.