A DREAM COME TRUE — STORY OF A STARRY-EYED GIRL FROM CALCUTTA
By: Srabanti Chaudhuri, India, 1992/93
My name is Srabanti (Mitun) Chaudhuri and I was a GRSP student from Calcutta, India, for the year 1992–1993. I attended the University of Georgia and graduated with a BBA in MIS. I also have an MBA from Georgia State University. I currently live in the US. I am a Social Entrepreneur.
It was a summer evening in Calcutta when the phone rang and I was given the congratulatory “phonogram” message that I was the recipient of the GRSP Scholarship! I didn’t know what a phonogram was. The message only required me to say, “I accept” or “I do not accept” and with an excited voice, I said “I accept”! That was the beginning of the amazing journey that brought me to Georgia in the Fall of 1992. As a starry-eyed undergraduate student, I left home for the first time and flew 10,000 miles away from my family to a land I thought where dreams came true!
Jim and Carole Kent of the Rotary Club of Greensboro were my primary host parents. I had two other sponsoring clubs — Social Circle and Madison. Experiencing the American life with the wonderful Kent family was a cherished one. They are still my family and Carole considers herself to be my Mommy #2! Jim’s briskets and his wicked sense of humor were legendary!
I began my life as a GRSP student at UGA, learning about GA, sharing stories about India with students and Rotarians, and breaking myths about people in India riding elephants to work! GRSP provided me with the opportunity to meet and make friends with people from all over the world! I soaked up every experience with enthusiasm. There were 75 GRSP students and meeting everyone for the first time was quite an experience! Acquiring a global perspective and making deeper friendships that I still cherish with quite a few of them are the biggest rewards of being a GRSP student.
Learning how to square dance, eating fried chicken and grits, watching Gone with Wind multiple times, and learning to say “y’all” are treasured Georgia and GRSP memories! Getting to know the other GRSP friends at UGA a little better was always fun. Talking about each other’s home countries, families, and our experiences in the US were common topics that we could connect on.
My passion for travel and the curiosity about other cultures began as a child when my Dad used to encourage me to study overseas. The GRSP experience gave that passion a firmer shape. Giving back was also something I admired in my host parents and the Rotarians. Jim was a successful entrepreneur and passionate about helping others through Rotary. Carole, too, was an astute businesswoman. They inspired me to become a Social Entrepreneur. In 2009, I launched Maka Maka, a Sustainable Lifestyle brand that offers a curated collection of Eco-conscious, Sustainable and Artisanal home and fashion products. We also contribute to Artisan communities across the globe and help revive some dying crafts.
My life’s journey took me to Vancouver, where my entrepreneurial venture began after learning the ropes of business through my corporate life in the US. As part of life’s constant adventures, I also returned to Calcutta for a few years and ran Maka Maka as a store and café before returning to the US!
During my travels, I visited some of my GRSP friends in the US or in their home countries. Each time we meet, it seems like we can just pick up from where we left off! That is the beauty of this program and the lifelong friendships we make!
