“Marketing executive. New York City. Manhattan, proper Manhattan or Brooklyn Heights. Corner office with floor-to-ceiling windows.”

Devanshi Mehta’s (12) dream career towers above her petite 5-foot-2-inch figure, highlighted by her outlets of self-expression through her blue-streaked hair and everyday “mix of cool tones in a comfort fit” clothing style.

At the age of four, Devanshi began learning dance after her initial debut at her uncle’s wedding. After experimenting with different styles of Indian dance, she began taking classical bharatanatyam dance lessons at Kala Vandana Dance Company at the age of six.

“Dance has been a constant in my life for really as long as I can remember. Every Sunday, I knew no matter what was going on in my life, I would get up, and I would go to dance class…no matter what was going on in my world, there was always dance,” said Devanshi. “Not only did it teach me a degree of discipline I really needed, but also I was able to use it to express myself through body movement.”

As she progressed in her journey through dance, Devanshi delved into art as another form of self-expression. In AP Studio Art, she is working on digital artwork, drawing inspiration from planetary objects “through the lens of Greek and Roman mythology.”

“I realized I really liked to do art at around the end of junior year. I did dance already, and dance really helps me broaden my perspectives on the world because we do some pieces that relate to social causes,” she said. “I wanted something that was less structured and more where I could use my own creativity and create things truly from nothing.”

Through her experiences in designing the upper school yearbook, Devanshi found that her interests lie within marketing, where she can take a developed product and communicate with consumers to fit their needs, successfully sustaining the business.

“One thing I’ve always believed in is the power of communication and just being honest and truthful in all respects. Communication, to me, is more than language in a traditional sense: it also includes communication in a nontraditional sense like body movement or painting or programming. The power of communication is inexplicable,” she said. “I want to bring that love and apply it to a greater world purpose.”

Although this “greater world purpose” stretches its wings across the country to Manhattan, it also revolves around Devanshi’s personal relationships and friendships.

“Growing up in the Bay Area and especially at Harker, there’s always this emphasis on grades and test scores and how many AP’s you are taking, and while all of that should definitely be a priority, I don’t think anything will ever be above taking care of those around me,” she said. “I will always value human life and human connection more than anything else in the world because I genuinely think that is the most important thing.”

Senior Riya Gupta, a close friend of Devanshi, appreciates her unfailingly resilient attitude through tough situations as well as her constant presence in others’ lives.

“She’s probably one of the most unique people that I’ve met in that she is so unbelievably positive even though she has gone through so many difficult things, she has always come out of them stronger and always with a smile on her face,” Riya said. “If I ever have an issue, she’s always the person I can immediately go to and will help me through anything…the friendship that I have with her is unparalleled.”

Along with friendships, Devanshi also prioritizes the relationships she has with her family. She values the interactions she has with her mom, Rupali Mehta, a major figure in her life.

“My mom has taught me strength, she has taught me perseverance, and even when I made questionable decisions, she was always there for me, and she always supported me,” she said.

Her mom reminisced on Devanshi’s early years as she continues to recognize her constantly cheerful demeanor even today.

“She was always a very happy kid since her childhood. She could easily make friends,” said Mehta. “From preschool to teens, she was always eager to learn new things and explore. She believes in positive energy and would sense it around her.”

Devanshi also grew up surrounded by her two twin sisters, who she accredits to opening her eyes to the importance of human connection and communication.

“One of my sisters is special-needs, so I learned communication in a non-traditional sense from a young age. I watched Shuchi grow up learning how to do hand symbols to communicate basic needs; like for water, she taps her glass with her finger,” Devanshi said. “Even though I didn’t realize it at the time, she taught me how to understand the needs of people in various ways. I can’t really talk to Shuchi, but even so I still communicate with her. And it just taught me early on the value of communication in all respects, not necessarily just language.”

Shuchi’s twin, Saumi Mehta (9), described her older sister as “weird” but also always “happy and bubbly.”

“My favorite memory with her would probably be her arangetram, [an important solo performance for a classical Indian dancer]. Our whole family was there, so it made it special in a way. I saw all her practices since the very beginning, but when she did the real thing, it was so much better,” said Saumi. “It made me feel happy and proud to call her my sister.”

Her best friend since third grade, senior Arushee Bhoja has seen first-hand Devanshi’s growth through dance, art and finally marketing.

“I think she is a very empathetic and caring person, and there isn’t ever a time when I can’t count on her,” said Arushee. “She also has the ability to laugh at herself and is quite a down-to-earth person. When I first met her, she was very loud and friendly and extroverted, and over time I have seen that she has such a depth of character as well.”