Hi! I’m Arjun Dasari; I’m a senior at Columbia College majoring in African American and African Diaspora Studies. I went on the Columbia Summer Core in Paris program this past summer. I was able to take Art Humanities and Music Humanities in Paris with an incredible community of students and professors and now long-term friends.

The sunsets at 10 PM, the walks in Luxembourg Gardens, the falafels at Sama Loubnane (the best restaurant in Paris because of the owner Medar), the sketching sessions at the Louvre and Ville Savoye–I could go on about the magic that is studying in Paris. As my professor said, “This summer is going to be one of new revelations,” and I couldn't agree more. My experience opened up new pathways of vulnerability and flexibility within myself that I didn’t know were possible. Our program was one of inclusion, collaboration, and deep learning; all thirty-two students moved as one cohesive unit throughout the summer.

I am a poet and an artist, so if you want to talk about poetry or art (music or visual), I would love to connect. Our journeys at Columbia and beyond are about making the most of opportunities available to us, and studying abroad is such a key facet of this!