Ananya Menon

Please click the button above to support an organization my friends and I helped establish.

I am a singer, volunteer, and tutor currently living in Troy, MI. My interests include mountain biking, swimming, and recently I've taken up skateboarding.

I also currently hold a part-time position at a local urgent care as a secretary. The Urgent Care facility has given me a sense of responsibility that I had never expected. It feels good to be a part of something so much greater than myself. A simple mistake on my part could lead to the doctor having the wrong patient's medical history or worse.

At first, the job seemed so daunting that I felt like I was destined to fail. This is the same mentality that I used to have when beginning something new. I've been working there for the past nine months, so now I have embraced the hectic workday and laughed off the anxiety. I've been going to work throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and I feel that I've never felt so happy to be a part of something "essential." In being a part of such a helpful community, I realized that there are always going to people by your side.

Every time I forget I'm doing something that is a necessity, a patient thanks me and the rest of the team for being open throughout the virus. The first time I heard this I realized how getting past my fear of the "daunting" beast helped me aid the people of this community.

I now understand that every opportunity that seems unnerving or difficult is simply masking the satisfaction on the other side. I joined the charitable organization linked above after I had come to this realization. Teaching these kids over the summer was so uplifting because I see that they were actually excited to learn.

I made a deal to myself that from then on that if I'm faced with an opportunity that seems intimidating, I will not cower or flinch, instead, I will stand tall and march right up and conquer the feat. I didn't say I'd do it alone, but I'm definitely not running away.