My name is Ruchir Khanna. I am an international student from Chennai, India. Having decided to pursue law last summer, my goal was to explore classes and experiences that would help me navigate which legal industry I see myself specializing in. Currently a rising senior majoring in Economics along with minors in Political Science and Government and Philosophy at Syracuse University, I am looking forward to graduating and working as a legal assistant or paralegal for a year before applying to law school.
Through my experiences studying and living in the USA and India, delving into the cultures I grew part of, I’ve developed a sense of empathy and open-mindedness for diversity. I wanted to take this further and expand my capacity to learn from others and embody what it means to be a global citizen. Volunteering as an Immigration Legal Services Intern at Migration Resource Center not only gives me exposure to the legal immigration industry, but also allows me to fulfil my passion of serving low income immigrants who I culturally affiliate with.
In addition to immigration services, MRC’s tax department provides assistance to the underprivileged who have issues pending with the IRS. Interning at a nonprofit organization meant that I could be part of a project that plays a vital role in building healthy communities by providing critical services that contribute to economic stability and mobility. Through my experiences working in different positions including class representative, leading events and groups and the International Baccalaureate, I’ve developed my interpersonal and organizational skills. To this extent, I wanted to enhance my leadership capabilities, as nonprofit leaders are frequently the voice of the people they serve. Another driving factor behind deciding to intern at a nonprofit organization was the prospect of winning the Robert B. Menschel Public Service Award at Syracuse University. This award was established to honor Robert B. Menschel and to perpetuate his commitment to the not-for-profit world by supporting undergraduate internships at 501(c)(3) non governmental organizations such as MRC.