Sharanya Sarkar, a doctoral student in molecular and cellular biology, has won the Diversity Award at Dartmouth's Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Study for her work with the International Graduate Student Mentorship Program (IGMP).
The Diversity Award recognizes outstanding leadership and determined efforts by graduate students in addressing and raising awareness about issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion across campus and in our community. Recipients of the award are acknowledged for their deep commitment to serving the Dartmouth community.
"I am pleased to present this award to Sharnya Sarkar," said Guarini School Dean Jon Kull. "International students are important members of the Guarini graduate community, and Sarkar has fostered an environment in which they feel welcomed, supported, and included throughout their time here.
As an international graduate student mentor, Sarkur organized the pre-arrival mentor-mentee pairing as well as Zoom sessions to provide crucial information and resources for new international students. She also organizes social events and dinners to foster a sense of community and belonging among students from diverse backgrounds.
"Winning the Diversity Award is a symbol of our journey together as we embrace our unique shapes and sizes and realize that together, we make something beautiful – just like a completed puzzle," said Sarkar.
For Sarkar, the most rewarding aspect of this journey was the opportunity to connect with over 320 international students. "As someone who thrives on human connection, each encounter has been a precious gift—a gentle reminder of the resilience and beauty of the human spirit. It has also taught me that despite our differences, at our core, we are all the same. This journey has shown me that there is indeed joy in diversity," she said.
Sarkar received recommendations from graduate students who are affiliated with the International Graduate Student Mentorship program. One nominator said, " Sharnya Sarkar demonstrated exemplary leadership and dedication in supporting the integration and success of international students like myself."
Another nominator felt that Sarkar's " understanding of the range of hardships faced by incoming students from various backgrounds and her incredible efforts to spearhead a supportive system to address them is unique for Dartmouth and other student communities in the US. "
Sharanya Sarkar was inspired to join IGMP through interactions with her "guardian angel, Parth Sabhawwal, a fellow graduate student who greeted Sarkar after 40+ hours of travel, helped with her 140 pounds of luggage, fetched her apartment keys, and took her to her new apartment.
With pandemic restrictions still in effect, Sarkar was in quarantine for seven days without groceries."That's when Parth Sabharwal went above and beyond, braving the pandemic to grab me enough food to last the week. His kindness left a lasting impression on me," said Sarkur. "I wanted to pay it forward and spread a little kindness of my own, just like Parth did for me."
Read Sharanya Sarkar's spotlight.
