1. Opportunity to Thrive

Opportunity to Thrive Adhip Adhikari '27 spent much of his summer creating a library at a secondary school near his family's home in Katmandu, Nepal.

By Kelsey Goodwin
October 15, 2024

"Stories shape people's perceptions, and he asked himself what stories he was bringing and what perceptions he was shaping."

~ Fran Elrod, associate director of the Shepherd Program

Adhip Adhikari '27 arrived at W&L with a hunger for knowledge. And he spent his summer helping students in his hometown of Katmandu, Nepal, pursue theirs.

Adhikari was inspired to build a library at Geetamata Secondary School, a school within walking distance of his family's home in Katmandu attended by some of Adhikari's childhood friends, to help improve the English language skills of the students, many of whom aspire to do well on English proficiency tests that make them competitive applicants to universities where more opportunities are available and to introduce students to some of the literary and cultural conventions in Western education. The school lacked the resources available at nearby schools, including St. Xavier's College, where Adhikari attended high school, and Adhikari said he realized investing in Geetamata's students would have the most economic impact for the area by increasing the chances of students earning merit-based scholarships to continue their education.

"I've seen people sell their lands back home, hard-earned land where their family farms, just to have their children go abroad to attend good universities," Adhikari said. "English language skills are necessary for setting Nepali students up for their future careers and getting into great schools in Nepal or abroad."

Adhikari, a double major in mathematics and economics with a minor in data science, said he knew he wanted to attend a liberal arts college in a small setting that contrasted with busy Katmandu.

"I intended to be an engineering major, and since W&L is one of the few liberal arts colleges offering engineering, it seemed a good choice for me," Adhikari said. "Lexington is similar to Kathmandu in some ways. Both are in valleys, and the temperatures are actually pretty similar. I felt that Lexington could be my home away from home." Adhikari added that W&L's financial aid package was a huge plus. "It is what made my journey to W&L very affordable," he said.

Adhikari started planning the library project in November 2023 and secured funding for the project through the Shepherd Program, the Connolly Center for Entrepreneurship and the Johnson Opportunity Grant program, which covered expenses like travel and the library's initial setup costs. Throughout the project, he also built a team in Nepal, including students from the school, teachers, carpenters and a muralist, to help with the physical setup of the library. Over the summer, Adhikari traveled to Nepal and oversaw the transformation of the designated library space, including the installation of shelves, furniture and the organization of the book collection. He created a digital catalog of the 4,800 books in the library's collection to help the school manage the library's checkout system; Adhikari plans to return for a month next summer to help implement a digital scanning system using barcodes that will make checking out books even more convenient. This summer's work culminated in a library handover ceremony, where the school and local community expressed their gratitude for Adhikari's efforts.

Adhikari said his relationship with Shepherd Program faculty was crucial in guiding and supporting his project. Fran Elrod, associate director of the Shepherd Program, is well acquainted with Adhikari's work ethic and passion for community involvement through his participation in the Bonner Program, where he volunteers for Campus Kitchen and the Rockbridge area's chapter of Habitat for Humanity. Elrod said Adhikari has intentionally sought out meaningful impact projects in every community of which he is a part.

"He's a quiet, unassuming person who, when you get to know him and have conversations with him, has big, visionary plans," Elrod said. "This project started smaller but gained momentum as he discussed it with those of us at W&L he sought out to ask for advice. He garnered volunteers in his local community, leveraged relationships with city and state officials and created a multi-faceted, intergenerational, grassroots effort."

Adhikari compiled a list of books, focusing on various genres from children's books to self-help titles. He worked with the Rockbridge Regional Library to identify the library's most popular and age-appropriate books. Elrod added that she was impressed by Adhikari's thoughtfulness toward the curation of the library.

"He consulted with librarians here to consider the cultural implications of what books to add. Stories shape people's perceptions, and he asked himself what stories he was bringing and what perceptions he was shaping," Elrod said.

Adhikari said while he initially imagined his primary hurdle with the project would be related to its physical space, he soon realized that the sustainability of the library as a teaching tool needed a solid plan. Through conversations with faculty within the Shepherd program, Adhikari began to develop a learning plan for students accessing the library's resources. For many, Adhikari said, it would be their first time being exposed to this extensive a library of English reading materials. Adhikari developed a plan that involved having students read short stories aloud in Nepali, then write summaries in English. This allowed him to assess their writing skills and establish a baseline for students to measure their progress.

"Since we plan on collecting student writing samples every six months, I'll be in constant communication with Geetamata's administration," Adhikari said. "They - especially the principal, Hari Krishna Shrestha, and the vice principal, Ram Prasad Devkota - have been very supportive throughout the process. Their collaborative spirit definitely made the execution of the project easier."

During conversations about how to fund the project, Adhikari was introduced to Sarah Margalus, visiting assistant professor of education studies. She began working with him to develop a plan for setting up the library as a lasting pedagogical tool for the school, which Adhikari said was instrumental in helping him draft the application for his Johnson Opportunity Grant. Margalus and Adhikari worked together to develop goals and a timeline for the project at the outset of the planning process.

Margalus said she observed Adhikari becoming more reflective about the project's progress, challenges, and adjustments that were needed over time and lauded his development as a "reflective practitioner of project management." She noted that Adhikari seemed to have a natural talent for being a team leader, particularly in his ability to appreciate and celebrate others' contributions.

"He is so conscientious about thanking and celebrating those who helped him," Sarah Margalus said.

Adhikari said he was thrilled with the book donations that came in from sources as far-flung as the local Indian embassy, his own high school, nearby Aksharaa School and W&L's Education Studies Department.

"Haley Sigler [associate professor and director of education studies] shipped more than 35 books to the school," Adhikari said, "a very kind gesture."

Adhikari's parents were instrumental in the success of the library project. They provided both practical, on-the-ground support and guidance as Adhikari navigated the cultural differences between the American and Nepali contexts in which he was working to bring the project to life.

"Adhip learned lessons on effective communication, motivation, proper decision-making and delegation skills through the execution of this project," said his father, D. P., who, along with Adhikari's mother, Bimala Khanal, has been a lifelong educator in the family's community. "I am sure the overall experience has been instrumental in upgrading his leadership skills. We are very proud that Adhip wanted to give back to our community and spearheaded this project. His efforts will have a lasting positive impact on countless current and future students in our local school."

Adhikari said the library project is an excellent example of how his liberal arts experiences at W&L have allowed him to explore his diverse academic interests, from math to economics to education studies, and combine them in unique ways. His collaboration with Margalus has also helped him develop a research paper on the impact of the library project on students' English language skills, which will allow him to continue to evaluate the library's impact as the project grows. Adhikari has also been extensively involved in the Williams Investment Society, which he said has helped him develop research skills and financial competency. He also serves as a peer tutor on campus in math and economics. Adhikhari added that the support and learning opportunities he has received across campus have been life-changing.

"Honestly, my life would have been so different if I had not come to W&L," Adhikari said. "It would have been impossible to do this project without the help of the university, and I'm getting to do so many other things I truly enjoy. It's been a wonderful ride."

Art Goldsmith, Jackson T. Stephens Professor of Economics and Adhikari's adviser, first met Adhikari in his Economics 100 course and was impressed by what he describes as Adhikari's "curiosity with a purpose." Goldsmith said Adhikari's vision for the project to build a library would provide opportunities for young people to learn and be excited about the life of the mind in ways that will lead to economic growth and well-being for that community.

"In my course, we encounter the work of Raj Chetty, a famous economist who points out that people need opportunities to thrive. Adhip processed that differently than other students," Goldsmith said. "He decided he wanted to be an opportunity provider. There's a concept in economics called positive externalities, which is when individuals who are external to a development benefit from it. Adhip could see that education would generate positive externalities in this instance, and he wanted to be the fuel for that."

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