When senior Sriya Donthi stumbled upon the poetry section at Barnes and Nobles during middle school, she discovered a new passion. Donthi was inspired by the way contemporary poetry allowed a writer “to have fun with language, connect with others, and make sense of the world through metaphors and creativity.”
So she dove in, eventually exploring the mode of writing through Instagram. And recently, she published a collection of her poetry titled because you’re made of stardust, an exploration of the act of moving from doubt to acceptance.
“I know that figuring out who you are and what you stand for is a universal, and often challenging, experience and I want anyone who picks up this book to feel heard and seen,” explained Donthi, who majors in biology, and history and philosophy of science.
Her collection is available for Kindle on Amazon and will soon be available as a hard copy through Amazon and Barnes and Noble, after Donthi completes making aesthetic changes to the piece.
“Once I started experimenting with writing poetry, I began to truly appreciate how powerful writing can be as a mode of expression,” she said.
On campus, Donthi is involved in a number of capacities beyond her passion for creative writing. As one example, the Illinois native launched the Women’s Weightlifting Club after she discovered weightlifting as a way to strengthen her body following a high school knee injury. Through the club, she and a few peers seek to prove that the weight room, an often male-dominated space, is for women, too.
Additionally, she’s on the executive board of Big Brothers Big Sisters, is a biology supplemental instructor and is part of the executive board for Samasana, CWRU’s collegiate Indian dance competition.
And now, as graduation nears, Donthi is looking ahead to starting medical school this summer. Be sure to check out her poetry collection for Kindle on Amazon.