Shaunak Maruvada (12) receives his friends with open arms at every occasion. For him, someone’s life is only as good as the connections that form it.

“Especially in such an academically-focused environment, it’s easy to get too caught up in doing things individually which gets you really stressed,” Shaunak said. “But I think communicating and being able to talk with others eases that a lot and helps overall.”

Yet Shaunak had not always known the value of his friendships. In his freshman year, Shaunak was diagnosed with a heart disease and received a transplant in his sophomore year, a difficult experience that taught him to reevaluate his perspective on life.

“That experience has shaped my philosophy on things in terms of contextualizing the everyday problems that I face. I think it really put everything into perspective for me,” he said. “It’s easy to get too caught up in doing things individually which gets you really stressed. But I think communicating and being able to talk with others eases that a lot and helps overall.”

Shaunak found that his less minute perspective on life molded his sense of purpose and outlook.

“I think in general it’s probably given me a more positive outlook, and I have more determination and trust in my abilities to do things and work through the difficulties that I face,” he said. “Whereas before I may have been more cynical, it’s given me more of an optimistic and idealistic perspective. Even in the small things, rather than develop anxiety over some homework, I tend to not worry as much about that stuff anymore.”

For Shaunak, listening is the most important characteristic of a good friend. His willingness to listen also goes hand in hand with his patience and poise when it comes to difficult problems both for his friends and himself.

“In my experience, when others have problems, rather than trying to come up with immediate solutions, listening to what they’re saying and taking time to process it is more helpful,” Shaunak said. “It allows everyone to calm down and that calming presence is a different approach that’s useful when helping others.”

Ashwin Rammohan (12), one of Shaunak’s friends, values his friendship for his efforts to listen before responding.

“He is one of the few people with whom you can comfortably have long, deep discussions, but when you’re having these conversations, it doesn’t seem silly or pointless because he’s willing to listen to what you have to say and respond thoughtfully,” Ashwin said. “Also, at least for me personally, I can always talk to him about stuff that’s bothering me or worrying me because I know that he’ll provide sound, reasonable advice about what to do.”

This type of strategizing translates into one of his team-oriented hobbies, playing cricket.

“My friends and I go out to the park and play, and it’s doing something that I like to do for a while with other people, so it’s a really relaxing environment but also really enjoyable,” he said. “Finding people with shared interests and playing with them as a team is one of the most gratifying and exciting experiences.”

Shaunak’s friend, Ayush Pancholy (12), also notes his charismatic ability to easily build strong bonds with others along with his cricket skills.

“Among our friend circle, he’s known for his sarcastic wit and his cricket skills. Overall, I’d describe Shaunak as a highly determined individual, capable of maintaining many valuable friendships,” Ayush said. “He might appear quiet on the outside, but he can be very energetic when he’s with the right crowd.”