Humans of Harker: Trisha Dwivedi values family

%E2%80%9CI%E2%80%99m+an+only+child%2C+and+in+both+my+mom%E2%80%99s+side+and+dad%E2%80%99s+side%2C+I%E2%80%99m+the+first+child+to+be+born+in+the+U.S.+and+grow+up+here.+I+feel+like+my+parents+have+given+me+this+opportunity+that+no+one+else+in+my+family+has+had%2C+so+it%E2%80%99s+my+responsibility+to+take+what+I%E2%80%99ve+been+given+and+work+harder+and+accomplish+more+than+what+my+parents+have%2C+Trisha+Dwivedi+%2812%29+said.

Meena Gudapati

“I’m an only child, and in both my mom’s side and dad’s side, I’m the first child to be born in the U.S. and grow up here. I feel like my parents have given me this opportunity that no one else in my family has had, so it’s my responsibility to take what I’ve been given and work harder and accomplish more than what my parents have,” Trisha Dwivedi (12) said.

by Meena Gudapati, Winged Post News Editor

Every day, Trisha Dwivedi (12) wears earrings and a necklace from her parents, a turquoise beaded bracelet from her uncle and two rings from her grandmothers. Each with a different significance, these accessories remind her of her extended family.

The second-youngest of 18 cousins on her father’s side, Trisha has six nieces and nephews, as well as six aunts and uncles. She is particularly close with her six-year-old niece, whose low blood platelet count prevents her from engaging in certain activities.

“I FaceTime her every weekend, and my cousin messages me after like ‘oh my gosh she gets so happy and excited to talk to you; you really make her forget that she has to go into the doctor every week,’ so that’s taught me [to cherish] those small moments and just reach out to all your family members,” Trisha said.

She is also close with her one-year-old nephew, who lives near San Francisco.

“I’m always really motivated whenever I meet him to be the best aunt for him and teach him all these things,” she said. “I just feel like the way I’ve had so many cousins to impact me when I was growing up- I want be that same figure for my nephew.”

Even Trisha’s love of watching sports comes from her cousins’ influence. This year, she and her father attended the Super Bowl 50 and the NBA Finals. Currently, she is coupling her interest in sports teams and her lifelong passion for art in her AP Studio Art concentration.

My concentration this year is going to be taking the 12 team members of the [Golden State] Warriors and depicting each one of their stories and paths, and how they’ve gotten to become an athlete as they are now,” she said.

Out of all of her jewelry, the rings Trisha wears on both hands hold particular significance. Her grandmother on her father’s side, who lives in India, gave her the one she wears on her left hand.

“I’m the only one out of her grandchildren who has her last name, so she always talks to me and has a lot of faith in me,” Trisha said.

On her right hand, she wears a ring gifted to her by her late grandmother on her mother’s side.

It’s an exact replica of her ring, and she gave it to me few months before she passed away, so it’s kind of like the last time I interacted with her,” she said. “It just means a lot to me, so I wear that every day.”