The campfire flames crackle, sending sparks swirling in the night and illuminating Boy Scouts group members in its warm glow. Shiven Balaji (’25) sits in a circle with his Boy Scouts of America troop, ready to roast s’mores after a long day of chopping firewood and prepping meals. Laughter mixes with the smoky air as scouts share memories from the day. The rest of the world fades away except the gooey marshmallows and graham crackers in his hands and the shared company of those around him.

Having joined the world of scouting in third grade and become a Boy Scout in sixth grade, Shiven aims to become an Eagle Scout in the near future. Although he originally hesitated spending time in nature due to fear of getting dirty, Shiven has since learned to appreciate the beauty of the imperfections in nature. 

“Boy Scouts is about being outside, realizing that nothing is really perfect, getting sand in your shoes, getting mud in your face, getting bitten a couple of times and going home, realizing that it’s going to be okay,” Shiven said. “There’s so much irregularity in plant life and animal life just in general, and that’s something to be embraced and cherished. There’s no reason to seek perfect symmetry in everything that we do and it’s okay sometimes to get your feet wet.”

Apart from his adventures in Boy Scouts, Shiven has also connected with the outdoors through his experiences living in different countries. Having been born in Singapore and later moving to India and then America, he witnessed the three countries’ vastly different definitions of nature. 

“The transition from Singapore to India was really difficult from a medical standpoint, but also physically not being able to deal with the pollution,” Shiven said. “India is a place where cleanliness isn’t prioritized as much, nor should it be because people have very real everyday struggles. Looking back, I have deep respect for the people I grew up around, but at the time, I was struggling to see value in the environment. I was searching for this photoshopped, almost lifeless elegance I’d find in Singapore, everything perfectly manicured.”

While living in India, Shiven picked up an interest in medical care, inspired by the problems he saw in hospitals near his hometown and the impact of pollution. Witnessing the intense emotions of patients in the compact hospitals he visited for his grandparents’ physiotherapy left a lasting impression on him. 

“There are some people who are leaving a parent now, and they’re just so hopeful; you can see that in their eyes,” Shiven said. “Other people are distraught; they’ve lost something that’s really dear to them. Other people are rejoicing; something really huge has been taken care of. What I saw initially versus what I was looking at now, this whole spectrum of emotions, was the work of the doctors inside. To me, that was pretty cool because I can see myself devoting my life to this.”

Similar to his experiences of community in Boy Scouts, Shiven was drawn to the opportunity to help people in whatever way he could through being a doctor. He took particular pleasure in the little moments with patients.

“What spoke to me was learning to form connections with people and getting the chance to express that with a patient,” Shiven said. “Having the chance to translate between English and Mandarin at the front desk, or offer a glass of water, or accompany them to navigate or provide company between vaccines. The root of that is the interaction. That to me is just as valuable as ‘here’s the medicine that I need to prescribe you.’”

Beyond showing care for his patients, Shiven’s cheery attitude shines through in his daily connections with those around him. Close friend Keshav Kotarmaju (’25) met Shiven in frosh year, and the two became close after sharing many classes together. Keshav admires how Shiven’s personality provides him with a reliable anchor of constant support.

“Shiven is a very social person,” Keshav said. “If you go out and he doesn’t know anyone there, he’s the first to come up to you and try to start some conversation. My friendship with Shiven is genuine, supportive, and long-lasting. We both want to see the best for each other. I come to him for advice, he comes to me for advice, and we help each other out when we can.”

Shiven’s outgoing personality has inspired others to try new things and improve themselves. Close friend Vedant Balachandran (’25) cherishes all the memories he shared with Shiven through DECA.

“Shiven has made me a lot more outgoing because we do a lot of things outside of school or through DECA,” Vedant said. “When we’re out he’s a lot more willing to step out of what would typically be my comfort zone. He’s really helped me push myself to actually do other stuff.”

Above all, Shiven prioritizes the impact he can impart on the various communities near him through endeavors in both medical care and Boy Scouts.

“All my hobbies are about communication, which is something that rose very early in my childhood,” Shiven said. “When I’m shadowing a physician, it’s about ‘she mentioned this drug, let me go home and research that?’ But at the same time, it’s ‘how is she making the patient feel more comfortable?’ When I’m outdoors in my Boy Scouts troop, it’s about ‘how can I bring all of that together?’”