Members of ’10.5 speak on post-graduation ambitions, Part I

December 9th, 2010 | By Drew Ohringer | Section: Features

For Sadish Dhakal ’10.5, the reason for graduating after this fall semester was simple.

“Saves me time, saves me money,” said the math major, who came to Grinnell from Nepal.

Sadish Dhakal ’10.5 flashes a smile for his college senior portrait - Daniel Penny

The past three and a half years, he says, have been great—involving a lot of great people, economics and one near-commandeering of a construction crane. However, Dhakal now believes that the time has come for a new experience.

“It’s time to go,” he said.

So, what’s next for Dhakal? Something involving research, IT or investment—but other than that Dhakal isn’t doing too much planning.

“I’m up for an adventure,” Dhakal said.

To begin with, he’s leaving Grinnell and going to live with his uncle in New York, where he’ll look for jobs. It’s just another change of landscape for Dhakal. In Nepal, he said, it didn’t snow where he lived.

“Iowa has corn and nice people and the smell of manure,” he said. 

Sadish started off as a physics major at the College, but he soon changed to math. Along the way, there was plenty of economics and a integration of computer science, philosophy and sociology. He even has taken a number of intro classes during the past couple of semesters. There wasn’t a shortage of non-academic activity along his path through his undergraduate career, either.

Dhakal has trouble pointing out one event or experience that defines Grinnell, but a few does make him laugh in retrospect. There was the time, for instance, that his friend almost hijacked an out-of-use crane on a construction site. Luckily, nothing got smashed and no one was injured. Whether this is indicative of the typical Grinnell experience, he is not sure. 

Dhakal’s Grinnell experience started when he saw a poster for the College in Nepal. Since then, he’s worked hard to graduate early—but that hasn’t stopped him from enjoying his time here. The best part, he says, has been the people.

“You learn from people here,” he said. “I’m going to miss it for sure.”