“I Realised that Transformation Itself is Continuous”: Avinash Rai

When I first stepped into Ashoka University, I thought I had already pushed past my comfort zone. In school, I had pushed myself into leadership roles, debates, and responsibilities that constantly challenged me. I arrived here believing I had already undergone that transformation.

But Ashoka quickly showed me that growth isn’t a one-time shift. It’s not about breaking out of your shell once and for all, but about recognising new shells forming and choosing to break them again and again. Whether it was speaking up in a class full of brilliant peers, navigating entirely new disciplines, or learning to balance failure with resilience, I realised each stage demanded that I stretch further than before.

What struck me most was how this cycle doesn’t end. Just when I thought I had grown, I would encounter a new experience that pushed me to rethink, relearn, and reimagine myself. And instead of seeing that as exhausting, I began to see it as the very essence of growth, an ongoing process that keeps you open to the unfamiliar and the uncomfortable.

My Caterpillar Moment wasn’t about one dramatic event, but about realising that transformation itself is continuous. At Ashoka, I’ve learnt that each time you think you’ve fully grown, there is another version of yourself waiting to evolve.