One learner, many passions: Nikita’s journey in multidisciplinary learning

8 June 2021 — Written by Arpit Chhikara

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Ever heard of the parable of the elephant and the blind men? A group of five blind men try to identify what an elephant is like by touching it. Each of them touches a different part of the elephant and derives respective conclusions. Trunk one calls it a snake. The one who touches the ear calls it a fan. The leg one calls it a tree and the belly one says it is a wall. What does the tail one claim? It is a rope. While each of them is right, none of them has a clear idea of what the elephant really is.

What this tells us is the great significance of the big picture in everything we do and learn. Quite similarly, at the core of liberal education is multidisciplinary learning. This means thinking in systems and diversities rather than isolation.

Meet Nikita Sriramagiri, a student of grade x at Beyond 8. Nikita is pursuing an internship as a content writer at Cambrionics where she is exploring her deep love for biology and life sciences. She recently spoke to us about her exciting journey on being able to explore multiple disciplines - all of which she enjoys completely! Excerpts:

What has been the most memorable experience of your internship?

There are so many such memorable moments to choose from. But the topmost one has to be the team-building activity that we had in Chennai ecology park: it was an amazing experience for me to get to know so many wonderful like-minded people in the group. Meeting genetics and biology scientists will be the second big highlight for me: at my age, it is very humbling to work with my role models so closely. And lastly, I thoroughly enjoyed late-night calls with the team to discuss genetic modification and creating real-life superhumans and superheroes which are often shown in movies. These are all experiences I will never forget and will carry with me for a long time to come.

Who have been your greatest influences in your internship?

I do not want to say that I have any particular mentor. At Cambrionics, I am learning something from everyone working around me. I believe that if you have a learning mindset, knowledge comes to you from multiple sources.

Source - Cambionics Facebook Page

Do you see yourself applying the learnings from your internship in your future college and career?

Yes, I will apply the learnings everywhere I go. I have learnt that communication and trust lead you to make a dream team. This is a phrase that will stay with me throughout my life’s journey.

How do you think this internship will set you apart from everyone?

I have learnt to listen with patience during the internship. And most importantly, look at situations from a perspective that no one has looked at before. Being a content writer at Cambrionics, I have learned to write interesting and engaging content suited to my audience. In my opinion, these are a few things that set me apart and bring out my exceptionalities.

We wish Nikita a bright future ahead! With all the multiple disciplines she is getting to explore, we are sure that she will be able to combine and do meaningful work. Plus, be a role model to young people around her who are also in the journey to find their passions.

Do check out work that Cambrionics is doing to make biology fun to learn.To know more about Beyond 8’s work in creating transformative pathways in liberal education, visit our website and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Source - Cambrionics Facebook Page

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