Leadership opportunities attracted Rajiv Shah ’09 to St. Lawrence. Rajiv, a mathematics and physics double major from Birgunj, Nepal, saw St. Lawrence as a place not only to grow academically, but also as a community that he could give back to in many ways.

Rajiv serves as a justice on the Student Judiciary Board, is a physics laboratory assistant and a library periodicals assistant, and is a member of SLU Rotaract Club, Amnesty International and the Cricket Club. He also spent a summer working at Canaras, St. Lawrence’s retreat in the Adirondacks. He’s also a member of two honorary societies, the physics honorary and Omicron Delta Kappa (ODK), which recognizes all-around academic excellence and leadership.

“I wanted to get a well-rounded liberal-arts education at St. Lawrence while pursuing an engineering degree through the 3+2 program that St. Lawrence offers,” says Rajiv. “The school has a combined engineering program with six other universities, and I am planning to pursue a bachelor of engineering degree at Columbia University by studying physics and mathematics at St. Lawrence.

“I’ve had a really positive first two years at St. Lawrence when it comes to academics, student life and making new friends,” Rajiv continues. “My experience as a residential ‘community assistant’ for fellow students has been great, and it has also helped me meet a lot of new people.”

In addition to his involvement with student life at St. Lawrence, Rajiv has taken advantage of the diversity on campus and made friends from around the world. Before deciding where to attend school, Rajiv did his homework and talked to several fellow Nepalis already at St. Lawrence. “They shared their positive experience at SLU, and I was convinced that SLU would be a good place for me,” he says.