AS A child in grade school, Vashwin Amarnani fondly remembers taking the Eucharist during mass. He would continue to do so for quite some time, until one day at school.
“We had one religion class where it was discussed how, if you take the Eucharist and you’re not yet baptized, it is a sin. So, when I asked my teacher about it, he said, ‘Oh yeah, I guess you’re sinning.’”
“I was like, ‘What?!’” he said, smiling.
Amarnani, a recent graduate of Psychology from the University of Santo Thomas (UST), grew up in Bacolod in an Indian family. Throughout his life, he has been in a constant flux between his two, Filipino and Indian, identities.
“At first, it was not something I appreciated. As time passed, I came to see the positives that it came with; like a more diverse view of the world. It’s also made me learn to respect others more and to make sure I respect myself also,” he said.
However, the path to self-acceptance was one of difficulty. Growing up, Amarnani recounted in his Facebook post that has received 7, 200 likes, that “it definitely was not fun being called 5-6 and Bumbay.”
However, from these comments, Amarnani saw only more room for growth in understanding his identity.
“It’s hard sometimes because you have to learn what your identity really is. Having more than one culture you can’t completely stick to saying: ‘Oh, I’m Filipino’ or ‘Oh I’m Indian.’ You really are a mix of both and you have to understand that,” he said.
Additionally, Amarnani saw great success in his tenure at the UST. He was the UST College of Science Student Council president and the UST Central Board of Students deputy speaker. At the end of his term, he was awarded the Quezon Leadership Awardee (College Level) and was the Ramsee D. Henson Leadership Awardee.
“Through these experiences, I was able to impact some people’s lives through our college and partner communities,” he said.
Amarnani specifically remembered one position that gave him fulfillment: “I was in charge of one scholarship program in third year. It really made me see the importance of the smallest things that can create a big impact in the future. From literal coins, the money gatherings would cover one-to-three students that have financial difficulty in paying tuition.
“I remember during the graduation of that year ... One of the scholars just graduated and introduced me to his mom. He told her [pointing at me] that ‘this is the one who helped me graduate.’ That was very touching,” Amarnani said.
Asked about his reflection on leadership, he said, “I always thought that, when you are in charge of something, you have to do so much of it. However, I learned, through my years at the Student Council in college, that you have to learn to trust others and allow each other to help. Learn to listen.”
In emphasizing the act of listening, Amarnani quoted Pastor Andy Stanley, who said, “A leader that does not listen will soon find himself with followers that do not want to speak.”
“Within an organization, there are always different viewpoints; every once in a while, it creates conflict. If you are scared of conflict, it’s hard. But if you treat conflict as a way to find the best possible solution, then you can see all the possible negatives of proposed solutions and come up with better actions,” he added.
Furthermore, Amarnani is also a practicing Hindu. Although when he was young, he was not very interested in religion: “When I go to the temple, many times I would just hear my Mom and Aunty singing songs that I did not understand. At first, it was like ‘okay, whatever,’” he said.
However, after a certain point, he became interested: he began to wonder what “he was praying about.” Thus, Amarnani picked up a book “Why I am a Hindu” by Shashi Tharoor, and became an active Hindu.
“One of my favorite ideas of that book was when he [Tharoor] pointed out that the best part of being a Hindu is that it comes with no restrictions in believing other religions: there’s no problem with going to mass or praying in a mosque. There’s no problem, as all religions will teach you good things,” he reflected.
Most importantly, Amarnani urges the respect of all religions and the resolving conflict through education, particularly through open dialogue forums: “It’s important that other people understand your religion and you understand their religion,” he said. According to him, this could be achieved by educating the youth, in religious classes, in religions other than Christianity like Hinduism and Buddhism.
“Without proper open communication [and education], it’s hard to create growth within a community,” he added.
Currently, Amarnani is preparing himself for medical school, where he will spend the next “four to eight years of his life.” The reason why he is eager to become a doctor is one of profound simplicity: to help other people.
“I feel like medicine is a good way to help people and I was always interested in the way the body works,” he said.
Asked about his advice to other third culture children, Amarnani said, “As much as possible, do what you believe is right. Always be nice as much as you possibly can. As much as you do what is right, be open to listening and what other people believe is right.
“You’re never going to have it right all the time.”