The following article finds Arjun Sahai, a member of the Advisory Board jog his memory about the absurd fashion in which he got into Enactus, three years down the memory lane.
Summarising my entire college experience in a few lines is near impossible, but what I can tell you for sure is that college has been a complete opposite to what I expected.
When entering college, I was very focused on what I had to do in the coming years. I was pursuing Chartered Accountancy and knew that I would be giving my exams in the next two years. Therefore I knew this time would completely involve attending tuitions and studying relentlessly. But I was fully prepared for this as I had been warned by a number of seniors about how tough it was going to be.
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| Arjun numbers the houses in Nekpur to enable construction of toilets as the women of the village look on. |
In school, I had always been involved in a number of activities but I knew that the same wouldn’t happen in college. The love of acting prompted me to audition for The Dramatics Society. Simultaneously, I attended the orientation of another college society known as SIFE (rechristened Enactus later) which basically undertook social entrepreneurship projects ( at that point it sounded like social work to me, something that I had never been interested in). In any case, I submitted my application form and made the interview round.
I told my seniors that I was pursuing C.A. and might not be able to give as much time as expected. Much to my surprise I became a part of SIFE. Maybe it was my frank nature and the fact that I was truthful about my commitments since the very beginning, or maybe because I told them I travelled by car so I could easily take them for far off visits and meetings.( In hindsight, probably the second one :P)
However as tuitions started I could not give Dram Soc the time it required and decided to give up acting, though I did perform a few times. I thought of telling my SIFE seniors the same, as I saw no point of being in something I cannot commit to. But something prevented me and I decided not to leave SIFE immediately.(I think this was one of the wisest decisions that I made in my college life, not that I have many to compare it with!)
As I continued to work for SIFE, I understood the kind of work we actually did and realised the true meaning of social entrepreneurship. I started loving the visits, the meetings, brainstorming sessions but most importantly the connection you make with your community and how you impact their lives. I started missing tuitions round the clock for SIFE work, savouring every moment of it. It doesn’t mean I left the idea of being a C.A. I would take back-up classes and self study at night to compensate. I simply learned to manage time. And trust me, it wasn’t that tough a task because I was enjoying donning multiple hats.
Everything said, what I expected to be a dull period of my life involving only studying, turned out to be one of the most exciting periods. From taking my C.A. papers to becoming a part of this amazing society in college, which literally transformed me and the way I think, college had it all.
I can very rightly say that SIFE, now Enactus has given me much more than what I gave it.
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| Arjun strikes a pose with the team during the Rebranding Event of SIFE to Enactus in college |
Now passing out and starting with my articleship is very upsetting but the thought of not being all that active in Enactus, is what pinches me the most.
Finally, not to forget, this entire experience has also been so memorable because of the amazing group of friends I made, both outside and within the society!
- Arjun Sahai
Straight from this year's PR Head, Aanavi Dewan - He may have entered Enactus by chance as he puts it, but don't be fooled! It was his passion and his leadership, both attributes we strongly seek to emulate, that made Arjun an integral part of the fabric of this society. And the car did help, of course.
An awesome Co-President as he was( Yes! He did work his way up there) we at Enactus wish him all the luck and success in his future endeavors.
Edited By: Sanket Agarwal and Aanavi Dewan
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