Introduction

My name is Sihley Pawaskar and I am from Omaha, Nebraska, which is roughly a seven-hour drive west of Saint Louis. I have only ever lived in Omaha, so coming to Saint Louis was a big change, but ultimately one that I think was best for me. My mom grew up on a small farm in Norfolk, Nebraska while my dad grew up in the crowded city of Mumbai, India. Back home I live with my parents and my younger brother, who is seventeen and a junior at Omaha Central High School, where I also went to school and graduated from. During high school, I was part of the International Baccalaureate program, which is similar to the AP program but on an international scale.

I came into my first semester at SLU majoring in nursing, but switched my major towards the end of first semester to neuroscience. I live in Reinert hall on the seventh floor and am a member of the life sciences learning community. I did varsity tennis all four years of high school and still enjoy watching and playing the sport. I really enjoy art and I love to both draw and paint as methods to destress and take a break when life gets too hectic--the process is very cathartic. I also love to read all kinds of books, listen to a variety of music, and watch various movies whenever I have a little free time. My favorites books include The Bell Jar, The Kite Runner, Persepolis, and The Handmaid’s Tale.