“Why I Give” Wednesday: Neil Makhija ‘09

Filed under:

"Anyone who's taken a writing workshop knows the most unacceptable thing to say about a piece of fiction is, 'It's good'—or worse, 'It's really good.' At Sarah Lawrence, we didn't memorize content for tests; we were pushed to go further; to deconstruct; to recognize the elements of a system and relationships between them—whether the notes of a musical score or the minutiae of legal case studies.

"I learned that we can serve our community, our nation, and the world by pursuing what we love—and by sharing it. We can find creative solutions at times of crisis.

"The Sarah Lawrence model fosters individual initiative and creativity because you're focused on what you're passionate about. If we want to make this school more affordable and accessible to more people—and increase our impact—then the alumni need to pitch in whatever they can. If we aren't going to do this, who is?"