January 24, 2025

Perceiving People’s Purpose

Most mornings, I walk alone from the hostel to the gym. Along the way, I see the same men waiting for the cafe to open, the same vendors setting up their sidewalk stalls, and the same cows and dogs perusing the streets. One morning, I witnessed a dog directing traffic. The dog barked continuously and walked alongside two cars driving incorrectly. This amusing sight made me realize that even animals have their purpose.

Today’s lectures focused on purpose. We learned about and then practised how to conduct interviews with purpose, or as Ashutosh called it, a “focus question.” We were given precise slides outlining a detailed method for conducting interviews, with the caveat that they may not always go as smoothly as planned. We were then grouped with mentors and BMS students to conduct an interview using these new tools. My group was ecstatic to be paired with Arushi, a mentor in the program, assuming it would be easy. However, this expectation was quickly thwarted when the interview began. Arushi took on the role of a difficult interviewee whose irrelevant grievances poured out faster than the tap in her apartment. Although the interview was challenging and lasted longer than expected, my team navigated through the monologues and steered the interview back to its intended purpose.

After the lecture, we sat for a panel discussion moderated by Bhargavi. The panel consisted of four employees at BMS: the head of the mess hall, the head of electricians and mechanics, the head of the college’s security, and two women who worked in and managed the school’s cleaning services. All five employees came from diverse backgrounds and had unique stories that led them to BMS. What struck me the most was their passion for their jobs, which was driven by a clear sense of purpose. All of them worked not just for themselves but for their community. They worked long hours at BMS to support the next generation’s educational aspirations. They tirelessly sought stable incomes to ensure that the next generation’s success would include their own families. These employees reminded me of my own parents: a support system for the younger generation, willing to sacrifice so much for the sake of a better future. I teared up at the end of the discussion because I saw my own immigrant parents—who have sacrificed so much for the same cause—standing in front of me.
Whether it’s a thought during an interview, the motivation to go to work, or seeing a car drive the wrong way, purpose is the driving force that creates the flow of a community. Humbling enough, it took me flying across the world to recognize and appreciate that so many people (and animals) work toward their purpose, contributing to themselves and their society. As a student learning how to contribute through an academic lens properly, I can only hope to never be discouraged and to be as courageous as a dog guiding traffic and as driven as a cleaning service worker at BMS.

By,
Sabrina