Tara Adhikari

After visiting the campus and feeling a genuine interest from faculty in supporting her success, Tara made the decision to attend Principia College. She was drawn to the idea of character education, which she felt permeated through every level—from peers to faculty.

“Principia gives you the confidence you need to take on responsibilities even if you don’t yet have the institutional knowledge," Tara said. “You can do any job you’re asked to do because you’re confident about your ability to learn.”

It was Tara’s role as director of the Public Affairs Conference that landed her a highly coveted internship recruiting speakers for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at the US State Department. When the internship opportunity was unexpectedly canceled, she quickly pivoted thanks to the Summer Research/Creative Assistant program.

Tara had already completed an assistantship taking part in social-impact research to determine whether 3D printing would be a cost-effective method to supply artificial limbs and walking sticks for a refugee camp in Bangladesh. She appreciated the responsibility and autonomy that came with the role.

“Your voice really matters in these projects,” she said.

Tara’s second research assistantship was with the Economics Department, designing research methodologies to analyze the economic environment and revitalization opportunities for nearby Alton, Illinois. The project included social media content analysis, which involved collecting data from platforms such as TripAdvisor, Facebook, and Instagram, and creating coding categories to support the research. It was essential the team’s method was accurate as it would be used for data analysis over the next four years.

Tara leaned on the courses she’d taken as part of her global studies major, which emphasized the dangers of outside intervention without an understanding of the local context. She also applied her knowledge of data collection to her role, allowing her to compile a numerical to present in an understandable, digestible, visual format.

She credits her ability to take on leadership positions to Principia’s unique environment.

Tara was active in student senate, moot court, and The Pilot – the College newspaper. She served as a senior class representative and as a house president, as well as being a member of the women’s soccer and track and field teams.