Student Leader Interview: Himanshi Mehlawat from Delhi University

Tell us more about your role and responsibilities in your society?

I am Himanshi Mehlawat, the ex-President of the Physcom society of Kalindi College. During my tenure as the President, I had to perform several roles and responsibilities which included the induction of new members into the society and organizing various fests, competitions and other events. I wanted to make sure that the vision of the society i.e. making the youth more aware and interested about the world of Physics, Computer Science and Physical Sciences is upheld and promoted positively among the college students. We also wanted to make sure that students actively take part in co-curricular activities.

What's it like to juggle between a leadership role and normal college life.

The switch from the traditional college life i.e. attending classes, doing assignments, projects and becoming a leader in society ensuring the success of it is a challenging yet a very motivating one. It makes you feel that you are giving back to the college in some way, but you also need to ensure that you manage your time properly between your studies and your role as a leader. I had also involved myself in a college research project, so time management had become even more crucial. It was only because of the dedication and commitment that I could fulfil all my roles and responsibilities.

As a leader at Physcom, what challenges did you face and how did you overcome them?

The main challenge that I faced was that of coordination. Since Physcom has members from the 1st, 2nd and 3rd years, being able to decide a time which is suitable for everyone and taking the society ahead together becomes a challenging task. This was overcome because each and every member had a great deal of interest in the society and its vision and were ready to give their everything to it. I made sure that an environment of friendliness and co-operation is built where everyone can help each other out. 

What are your career goals and how is your present role going to help you with that?

During my graduation years, I wanted to do my Masters in fields related to Physics, and through this society, I was able to gain all the hard skills and the soft skills that were necessary to make me successful in my career goals. The society increased my interest in the subject matter and also gave birth to a leader in me. 

Do you have a message for parents to allow their kids to do things besides academics?

I believe parents should allow their child to take part in various co-curricular and extra-curricular activities apart from academics because nowadays, the paradigm has shifted and a great focus is being put on how active you were during the college life. The world today doesn’t want someone who is very much one-dimensional, for example- only academically sound. The world today needs leaders who are well-balanced in all aspects be it academics, co-curricular, extra-curricular. 

What's your message to encourage students to do internships and attend conferences?

I would like to encourage the students to do more internships and attend conferences which helps earn the desired hard skills and soft skills and makes them grow as a person. At the end, what will matter is what you are as a person and what you have done in your life rather than how much you have scored in some exams. All the best!


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