#GraduateStories: When Research Met Chai and Realisations

In labs and over tea, here’s how Gayathri Nair (MA Biology 2025) found confidence, community, and a sense of belonging at Ashoka.

Ashoka isn’t just where I studied – it’s where I grew up, in so many ways. As a Biology major, I stepped into labs with curiosity and nervousness, slowly learning the language of research through trial, error, and wonder. The hands-on experience I gained through coursework and lab work gave me more than technical skills – it gave me confidence.

One of the most meaningful parts of my journey was joining Professor Krishna Melnattur’s lab in my second year. It was there that I truly discovered that I can do research. My professor, Dr Krishna, motivates me and teaches me how to plan and run my own experiments, think critically, and work alongside others in a shared pursuit of answers. My senior in the lab, Rahul Kumar, was a quiet pillar of support, patiently teaching me the basics, encouraging me when I stumbled, and reminding me that I belonged.

Ashoka’s interdisciplinary spirit also deeply shaped me. I made friends, each with a different language, story, and way of seeing the world. Our conversations, over tea or late-night walks, taught me just as much as any class did. I learnt to listen, to question, and to see beauty in perspectives different from mine.

If I could relive one moment, it would be standing in the lab on the day of my Master’s defence, looking back at the girl who nervously entered the lab for the first time. I was proud of her for holding on.

To new Ashokans: the journey won’t always be easy. But hold on. Trust yourself. Be open to discomfort, to people, to change. That’s where the growth happens. And one day, you’ll look back and be so proud of how far you’ve come.

– Written by Gayathri Nair, MA Biology 2025 Batch