Coming Home: Reflections from the Class of 1986

Good evening, dear Kodai family,

It’s wonderful to be back home.

Thank you, Tara, for inviting me to speak this evening. When the invitation came, it felt a little like a dare from my Kodai roommate, so I had to say yes. Thank you, Malini.

Tonight, I’d like to share a few life lessons shaped by my time at Kodai.

The Power of Small Moments

I was only seven years old when I first stepped into the Solvik dorm, excited to finally join my older brother at school. Before I could take it all in, the houseparents’ youngest daughter whisked me up to my room on the second floor, just above the kitchen.

My days quickly filled with simple but meaningful routines: walking to Loch End for class, freely crossing the road on my own, and spending recess watching spawn transform into tadpoles and then frogs in the garden pond.

Weekends brought their own rhythms, hikes to Bera Shola, taffy pulls at Furzbank, writing letters home with the help of a dorm parent, resisting enforced Sunday naps, and swimming lessons in the lake.

These are some of my earliest memories of Kodai. What seemed like small, ordinary moments at the time became the foundation for a meaningful life.

Those hours by the pond taught me patience and curiosity. Years later, discovering a file of those weekly letters after my father passed away reminded me how deeply those small, repeated acts shape who we become.

Kodai was also where we first learned about equity, not as a concept, but as a lived experience. We were part of a community where everyone mattered: from ayahs to houseparents, from teachers to kitchen staff.

The details may fade, second-grade boarding, Furzbank and Lochend, taffy pulls and lake swims but what endures is a deep sense of family, a connection to nature, and a commitment to social justice. These are part of Kodai’s enduring story, and why the school continues to thrive 125 years on.

Finding Our Way in the World

Forty years ago, we said our tearful goodbyes and stepped into the world with bright eyes and big dreams at least some of us did.

I was completely unsure of what I wanted to study, but I knew I wanted to make the world a better place. Something like world peace.

I went on to a small liberal arts college in the United States, the country of my birth, yet entirely unfamiliar to me. Having grown up without television or even a telephone, it felt like a different world.

Looking back, I sometimes wish I had chosen a larger university with a more diverse international community rather than trying to recreate the intimacy of Kodai. But reconnecting with classmates helped me navigate those years and reminded me of the Kodai spirit.

What we had here was more than friendship—it was practice. Practice in kindness, acceptance, and caring for one another, both within and beyond the school community.

A Life Shaped by Kodai

Growing up in India and studying at Kodai shaped my worldview in ways I only understood later.

Like many of us, I muddled through young adulthood feeling like a “stranger in a strange land” what we now call a Third Culture Kid. Life unfolded in ways I could never have imagined: marrying a fellow Kodai alumnus, moving to Oman, and building a career in public health.

Looking back at our graduation day on the covered court and seeing so many classmates gathered here today, I feel deep admiration for the journeys each of us has taken.

Kodai taught me how to be a bridge-builder long before I knew what a diplomat was. A bridge exists to connect, to provide access and close the gaps that divide us.

Kodai itself is a microcosm of the world: diverse backgrounds, shared lives. Our graduation theme said it best, unity in diversity. That is the essence of the social justice Kodai taught us.

Carrying Kodai into the World

In my work with global health, I’ve seen that the challenges we face are not just technical; they are shaped by power, politics, and competing interests. Too often, the most vulnerable are pushed to the margins.

It can be humbling and exhausting to navigate these complexities. But I’ve come to see that real progress depends not only on solutions, but on our ability to bring people together.

I try to be a steady, neutral presence, someone who listens, translates, and stands at the intersection of many perspectives. It is the work of holding space when everything else is pulling people apart.

The dream of a kinder, fairer world, a conviction I first learned at Kodai, remains at the heart of what I do. It is found in the quiet, behind-the-scenes work of showing up, listening, and acting for the common good.

Home, Wherever We Are

A few weeks ago, an Italian-Jamaican-British couple asked me if I could really live in India. To them, it seemed unusual. To me, it felt entirely natural.

As global nomads, we learned early that home is both everywhere and nowhere because home is ultimately where the heart is.

Kodai friends are family. We share not only memories, but values. Kodai gave us a compass for life.

Closing Reflections

The years seem to melt away whenever we meet. We return, effortlessly, to memories of the KMU canteen, class camps, and the chocolate lady at the front gate.

Looking around this room tonight, I feel deeply moved.

In a world that often feels fractured, this gathering reminds us of what truly matters. Let us honour those who are not with us, deepen the connections we share, and carry forward the values Kodai instilled in us.

Let us be bridges. Let us follow our compass. And let the quiet practices of patience, service, and kindness guide our choices.

Thank you.