As an international student more than 6,000 miles from home, Nivedita Srinivasan arrived at Case Western Reserve three years ago knowing no one. While she expected to meet new friends and share experiences with her roommates, she never dreamt they’d show her the same depth of love and support her parents showed her back home.
“My journey has been significantly enriched by the incredible support and companionship of my roommates,” said Srinivasan. “Whether it’s dragging me to Little Italy for gelato after a long day or inviting me to their homes for Thanksgiving, their efforts to make me feel at home are endless.
“People come and go,” she added, “but I know that these girls will always have a special place in my heart, no matter where life takes us.”
Last week, Srinivasan and her suitemates, along with hundreds of new students, arrived on campus for move-in, marking the beginning of yet another academic year at Case Western Reserve. With any luck, the new students will realize what Srinivasan experienced firsthand: the value of roommates extends beyond shared living spaces. These new faces quickly become part of your close-knit community, providing essential support and making the transition to college life smoother and more rewarding.
Read on to learn more about the experiences of Srinivasan and her three suitemates, Mariana Sousa, Sofia Vicenzino and Alyssa Ayala.
Nivedita Srinivasan
Third-year studying biology
Q: What do you value most about each other as roommates and friends?
Srinivasan: I think what I value the most amongst all of us is understanding. It’s easy to be friends and have fun, but the real ones stick around in the darkest and lowest of times. I really value their understanding when I feel low or when I’m disappointed/upset as talking to them makes me feel better and safe.
Q: What kinds of emotions have you felt together through the years?
Srinivasan: I don’t think there’s an emotion from me that this group is yet to see; they’ve been through it all like they’ve known me since my childhood. There are times when we have very emotional conversations about the future and life and a chain reaction occurs where everyone gets emotional and it all ends in one big hug. There have been times when I have gotten rejected by applications or scholarships/grants and it’s like they know what’s up before I even mention it. I take part in a local Cleveland Dance competition and when I look out in the audience, I find their nervous faces praying and wishing the best for me like they are up on stage. To sum it up, it feels at peace when I’m with them whether in a room where we’re all doing our work quietly or having a movie night after baking some cookies.
Mariana Sousa
Third-year studying nutrition
Q: What are some of your favorite memories with your suitemates?
Sousa: I personally like the more mundane moments, for example our daily evening catch-ups, weekend grocery runs or study sessions in the common room. One of my favorite memories from last semester was our pizza night where we simply made our own pizzas and then watched a movie. This is what I love about our friend group—we always enjoy each other’s company and don’t need to do much to have fun together.
Q: How has living together impacted your university experience and personal growth?
Sousa: My roommates are my biggest support system at CWRU. In addition to helping me navigate this whole university experience, they have guided me through life in a new country and made me feel at home here. We come from very diverse backgrounds, so I have grown a lot from learning about their different experiences and perspectives.
Q: What do you value most about each other as roommates and friends?
Sousa: I truly appreciate how we always show up for each other. No matter how busy we are, we make the time to be there for one another in the important moments whether that is cheering for each other at competitions and performances, accompanying someone to a doctor’s appointment or simply sitting down to listen when one of us needs to talk.
Sofia Vicenzino
Third-year studying psychology and cognitive science
Q: What are some of your favorite memories with your suitemates?
Vicenzino: One of the things I love most about my roommates is that we always make an effort to create lots of memories together. Most of my best moments with them consist of fun little activities we’ve done together like baking cookies, going on coffee runs, or going to different events around Cleveland. One of my favorite memories of them (and also one of my earliest) is from our freshman year, when we had our first big snowstorm. My roommates and I stayed outside practically all day making snow angels, building snowmen, and admiring the views. The entire day I had this feeling of contentment and knew I had found some of my best friends.
Q: How has living together impacted your university experience and personal growth?
Vicenzino: It’s so nice to come home after a long day and be with these girls who have become like my sisters. We’re all here to support each other academically, but we also take care of each other. It can be easy to become caught up in work and extracurriculars, but my roommates always remind me to take a break and are always so kind and understanding. Life can get chaotic sometimes, especially at school. My roommates have always been consistently there for me since I started at CWRU, and I’m so grateful for them. It feels so good to know they’ll always have my back, and I’ll always have theirs.
Alyssa Ayala
Third-year studying biomedical engineering and computer engineering
Q: How has living together impacted your university experience and personal growth?
Ayala: We have all heard the horror stories of bad roommates and even having to switch roommates throughout the year. Roommates are your first lifeline in a new place where you’re giving more of yourself to school than you ever have before. It can be really stressful to be in this new environment and it makes people homesick. I never feel homesick thanks to my roommates. We each step in to help or take burdens off of each other when we know the other is stressed or has exams coming up. Living together has made me a better person and friend. It’s also given me the opportunity to branch out. My roommates are my closest friends at CWRU and have introduced me to lots of other people I consider close friends as well. We each have our strengths and fill in for each other when needed.
Q: What do you value most about each other as roommates and friends?
Ayala: We get along super well and are all very busy people. Yet, we still make time for one another and help each other whenever we can. We help set up events that the other roommate is running, we bounce ideas for our clubs off each other, and we show up for each other regardless of what the event or situation might be. I appreciate the kind people they are above all else and the dedication they have to everyone and everything in their life. This shared dedication is what allows us to help each other so perfectly and fit into each other’s lives seamlessly.