Sreenidhi Thirunagaru is a 19-year-old sophomore student at Drexel University. Majoring in biology with a pre-med track, Sreenidhi’s ultimate goal after graduating would be becoming a doctor. Being a pre-med student is tough and sometimes isolating. Sreendhi wanted to meet more people in a position just like hers, so she decided to join Phi Delta Epsilon.
Phi Delta Epsilon is a pre-medical and a half-social fraternity on campus. As a pre-med student, making connections is an important factor in Sreenidhi’s success. “We try to bring together a bunch of pre-medical students with the same goal in mind and we basically provide opportunities for each and create connections,” she said.
When asked how she became involved in Phi Delta Epsilon, Sreenidhi said she actually couldn’t get in her first year. “I was doing the activities unlimited my freshman year and I decided to rush,” she said, “but they didn’t tell me until I was done rushing that freshman couldn’t join.” However, Sreenidhi decided to rush again after her first quarter and she got in. Since then, the by-laws have changed and freshmen are now able to rush.
Like any college student, Sreenidhi is under tons of stress. But finding that balance between school work and social life is something that everyone needs and her fraternity has helped with that. ”Personally, I like the people that I have met so far,” she said, “ [The members] genuinely want to help you.”
As for her time at Drexel, she said that her experience in a fraternity has been a good one so far. “I have experienced some drama with it, but that comes with everything, but I see a lot more familiar faces on campus,” she said, “If it’s not one person, there is always someone there, even if everyone else is busy.” Also according to Sreenidhi, her big and little are blessings in her life.
When asked if being in Phi Delta Epsilon has changed the way that she looks at her major, she said that being in her fraternity has definitely set her career path in stone. “With the opportunities and with everyone else doing it with me, it made me say ‘Ok. I can do this,’” she said.
When her head isn’t in the books or trying to juggle all of her school work, Sreenidhi can be found giving tours as a student ambassador or dancing in the DAC. Sreenidhi is an example of a student who maintains a great balance between dealing with school work and looking forward to the future, while also saving time for friendships and much-needed breaks.