Khushboo “Ashna” Coondiah '23 | Student

Journey of Growth

Khushboo “Ashna” Coondiah traveled nearly 10,000 miles from her home to attend DePauw. She is a resident of Mauritius, a tropical island country 1,200 miles off the coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean.

She is familiar with traveling to attend school, having spent her last two years of high school at the residential African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg, South Africa, almost 2,000 miles from her home.

“That rough journey helped me grow as a person,” she says. “I have become more independent and developed skills, such as time and money management. And I strongly believe that those will definitely help me during my time at DePauw University.”

Ashna, who plans a career in mechanical or aeronautical engineering, said she applied to other universities that offered similar courses and financial aid but chose DePauw because she “was – and still am – captivated by the sense of togetherness prevailing across the campus.

“Living in a completely new environment alone is a bit of an intimidating thought,” she says. “Nonetheless, that feeling is less daunting if the atmosphere is like living in a big extended family. DePauw University shines a feeling of closeness among each and every member of the community, from which I found comfort since day one.”