Courtesy of Sahaana Chitrapura

Chitrapura dressed in traditional Bharatnatyam dance wear during her Arengetram photoshoot.

Stepping onto campus on the first day of school is a big step for everyone. But for junior Sahaana Chitrapura, the first day of school was also a giant leap into a whole new life. 

Last summer, she and her family moved to Saratoga from Bangalore, India. Having spent most of her life in Bangalore, she was terrified of moving to a whole different country, especially in the middle of her high school years. 

“I’ve grown up around people that have known me my whole life and vice versa, so being in a completely different place where I didn’t know anyone was so scary and intimidating,” Chitrapura said.

Her family moved to the U.S. because her parents wanted her to have a better education and opportunities to get into a respected U.S college. 

It wasn’t her first time living in the U.S., though: She moved to Georgia for about a year and a half in third grade so her mom could get her postgraduate education in agriculture technology. 

Chitrapura mentioned that being so young at the time meant moving didn’t affect her to the degree it has now. She ended up moving back to India in fifth grade, returning to the same school she previously attended. 

Living in India again — up until her junior year — created a lot of cultural challenges Chitrapura had to navigate through when she returned to the U.S.

“Things are so much more individually structured here,” Chitrapura said. “Back in India, I would go out and meet my friends and family and be at their houses the whole day.”.

Living here, she was surprised to find that students didn’t hang out at their friends’ house every day until evening. Back in India, that was normal and even expected. In the U.S., she found that most students just go home and focus on their own activities.

Another surprise to Chitrapura was the emphasis placed on extracurricular activities. In India, extracurriculars are more casual and seen as ways to pass your time or do things you enjoy. This contrasts with the significant importance they have on college applications in the U.S.

“Everyone seems to be doing so much outside of school, and it can be daunting because I don’t really know how things work here,” she said.

In India, admissions to top colleges and universities aren’t based on how well rounded a student is, but it is instead based entirely on grades and test scores. Students have a big test tied to the career path they want to enter, and depending on their scores, they are granted admission into a college. 

In the U.S., especially in a school as competitive as SHS, most students tend to do extracurriculars with future college applications in mind. This mind-set made it hard for her to navigate the college application process. 

Chitrapura describes herself as a bubbly and energetic person, but with the pressures of being the new kid from a different country and with the culture adjustments she was navigating, she found herself tamping down on her personality in an effort to fit in. 

 As the year has gone on, that has changed. She has found a group of friends through her classes and extracurriculars like speech and debate and drama. They have encouraged her to be herself, and she has been more able to be more comfortable in her own skin. 

Her vibrant personality can be seen in some of her passions outside of academics, including dance. 

Chitrapura has trained in Bharatnatyam — a type of Indian classical dance — starting at age 5. The dance style has been used as a form of storytelling in Indian culture for centuries. It consists of a lot of facial expressions and using your body language to communicate stories to the audience.

“I kind of view (Bharatnatyam) as self-expression — I don’t really think of anything else when I dance, so it helps me take my mind off of a lot of stuff that might be bothering me,” Chitrapura said. 

She finished her Arangetram — a solo performance done by a Bharatnatyam student when they have officially completed their training — last May in India. It is considered to be a graduation of sorts, marking the moment a dance student becomes a true dancer.  

Chitrapura loves telling stories on stage, so in fourth grade she decided to try acting — a passion she has continued doing here. She even played the role of the President — one of the leading parts — in the fall play “Madwoman of Chaillot.” 

Chitrapura is also a voracious reader. For as long as she can remember, she has always loved to read across the genres but especially fantasy.

“It’s almost an escape for me because whenever there is something I’m stressed about I read and I almost immediately feel better,” Chitrapura said.

Balancing her school work, dance practices, rehearsals and personal time to spend with family and friends is no easy task at a new school. Still, she said she has learned good ways to manage her time. Also, prioritizing 7-8 hours of sleep is important to her because she is never productive without enough sleep.

After graduating high school, Chitrapura wants to continue her education in the U.S. and do something that will have a positive impact on others; she hopes to eventually become a lawyer.

Through the formative experience of moving to a different country, she’s learned skills such as adaptability, the ability to overcome her own fears and time management. 

“I’m really proud of myself because I feel like I handled this huge change in my life really well,” she said. “I think it’s made me a better person and I’ve learned a lot, so I’m just really grateful for that.”