Senior to Senior Series: Komal Kaur ’24
As a senior this year, I have been thinking back on my time at Chatham. My fellow seniors and I, while eager to walk across the stage, have a lot of memories to recall before it’s time to put on our cap and gown. The Senior to Senior series is an opportunity for graduating students to speak about their time at Chatham and what it means to them.
Komal Kaur is a Political Science and Women and Gender Studies (WGS) double major, and a Psychology minor from Pittsburgh. Komal will also be receiving the Women’s Leadership certificate this spring. I personally met Komal when we were discussion partners in a WGS class about gendered resistance. She is a board member of the Asian Student Association and has a real passion for community building at Chatham. I had the pleasure of speaking with Komal about her trip abroad, her identity as a first-generation college student, and her passion for looking at things with gratitude.
Komal Kaur (She/Her)
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA
Major: Political Science and Women and Gender Studies
Minor: Psychology, Women’s Leadership Certificate
What led you to choose Chatham?
I went to school close by, actually down the street, and had no idea this campus was even here in such an urban environment. It is such a classic liberal arts-looking campus. When I was a child and I envisioned myself on a college campus, Chatham is where I envisioned myself. I’ve found that my best memories and happiest times on campus are being outdoors. I really appreciated that a lot. Chatham is also really small compared to the schools I’ve gone to my whole life and I knew I would really benefit from the professor-to-student ratio. I don’t feel afraid to ask for help, and I had that impression before I came here and committed to Chatham. Chatham also allowed me to afford an education in a more accessible way, which was important to me.
What do you like most about the Political Science program?
Shokhsanam Sadirova ’24, left, and Komal Kaur ’24 ASA’s 2022 Diwali event.
I actually just declared a second major in last year which is kind of crazy to do right before you graduate, but so many people who are majoring in Political Science are also majoring in other things. So, I really liked how adaptable the Political Science major is and how well it plays with other majors. When I came to Chatham I wanted to major in international relations, which is a branch of political science Chatham doesn’t offer. I told my advisor, and she told me we could tailor my 4-year education to make it focus on as much international perspective as we can. Part of that included studying abroad, which I never would’ve been able to do if I hadn’t gone to Chatham.
The Political Science department is also very small, and that’s one of the strengths of the department. I've been rotating through the same 3-4 professors, and they know me so well, they know my work, they know my potential. Dr. Jennie Sweet Cushman has done so much for me in my time here, and I’ll always be so grateful for her guidance. The size of the department is probably my favorite thing about the department.
How did you decide to double major with Women and Gender Studies?
The combination of the Political Science and Women and Gender Studies major couldn’t be more perfect for me and what I want to study in the future. I had this steady and well-built understanding of world politics and American politics, but I also can look through a gendered lens of marginalized gender and racial identities. If I had graduated with just the Political Science degree without building it up with everything else that I decided to do while I was here, it wouldn't have been as fruitful for me and I wouldn't have had such a rich experience for myself.
How was your experience studying abroad?
My experience studying abroad was genuinely life-changing. It was the most transformative experience of my life. It helped inform my undergraduate education in ways that I could never have expected before. I’ve lived in Pittsburgh my whole life, and I feel like I truly found myself through that experience. I really challenged myself going to a country where I didn’t know the language. I went to Korea when I didn’t know any Korean and I pushed myself to take language-intensive courses while I was there. It was a huge challenge for me, and cultural immersion has always been important to me and the course I want to take with my future professional career.
Financially I was able to get a lot of help. I got the Gillman scholarship, and I never thought in a million years I would get a scholarship like that. International affairs helped me with every step of the process and encouraged me to apply. They really helped me side-step the financial burdens that I might’ve had for myself. Academics-wise, it really helped me supplement my degrees in ways that will continue to benefit me throughout the future.
What is your favorite memory from abroad?
My first time ever going to the beach was in Korea. That was my first time ever seeing the beach or the ocean and it was a life-changing experience. I felt very in touch with nature, especially when I was at the beach. Now I’ve realized I have to live near the ocean when I’m older. At Jeju Island, which is the “Hawaii of Korea,” we saw caves and waterfalls, and the beach which was so incredible.
What’s your experience been in the ASA (Asian Students Association)?
Jolie Phan ’24, left, and Komal Kaur ’24 at Chatham Palooza
The first two years of college there wasn’t a lot going on with the club. My junior year, the ASA was reactivated, and I was one of the first members so I joined the board. I felt really lonely and isolated my first two years and I went a long time before I saw other people of color on campus. So being able to make this community for myself and other board members who are now my good friends means a lot. I see first years coming in and I know what I would have given to have that for myself my first year. I’m so glad that we can do that for them.
With the demographics on campus, it’s hard not to feel isolated if you’re not a white person. I’m usually the only person of color in my classrooms, and eventually it starts to feel like a burden. It feels like you have to fill in missing perspectives, and finding the community with the ASA has been so important. We held Chatham’s first ever Diwali event in 2022 and held it again in 2023. It is a holiday I’ve celebrated since I grew up, and bringing that to Chatham was emotional for me, and it was really incredible. I think my participation in the ASA has been the most meaningful.
What’s been an important project you’ve done with the ASA?
Ana Harouse ’25, left, and Komal Kaur ’24 at a Lunar New Year Event
My proudest moment with the ASA would be Chatham Palooza. Jolie Phan ‘25 decided we could do a talent show to bring the community together. It wasn’t necessarily meant to be Asian centered or culturally centered, but just to bring people together. We raised money for the UNRWA for humanitarian relief in Palestine and we ended up raising over $1,500 and was a huge amount of money. We didn’t expect to make more than a couple hundred dollars, and tickets were only $5. Most of it came from donations, and it was incredible to see Chatham having such a positive and warm response. I was uplifted by that. I saw something in Chatham’s community that I hadn’t seen before. It really gave me hope for where we can go in the future. It made me feel good to bring all these people together.
Lirit’s note: Chatham Student Government recently passed a proclamation recognizing the Asian Student Association and its continuous efforts to increase campus awareness and civic engagement since this interview!
Do you have a favorite class you’ve taken?
My favorite class I’ve taken was Women in Politics; that class was my “Roman Empire” because I think about that class every day. It taught me a lot about how lack of representation impacts women and girls. We talked a lot about political socialization and political psychology. I think that really helped inform me, my interests, and my passions, and where I want to go in the future to use my Political Science education. It’s a class I tell everybody to take.
What advice would you give your first-year self?
Because of COVID I felt there was no hope for my first-year self. We all had to keep our heads up and go through it, but I think gratitude is really important. Truly I think looking at the privilege to be in an institution, even if it is imperfect, is so important. It’s easier said than done, but that’s not a reason to not try. For first-gen students especially I feel like we aren’t always recognized, and for us I think gratitude is really important. Reframing my struggles has helped me get through a lot. I would've loved to hear that as a first year. Don’t be afraid to ask for help, none of your peers or the faculty are your enemy and they want you to grow. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Do you have any plans after graduation?
I hope to go to graduate school and I’m applying now. I’m most interested in a program in ethics, peace and human rights. It’s very centered in human behavior, and why people in society act the way they do. That’s what my passion is. I think I want to just keep following my passions and as you grow up people try and keep you from being ambitious but being ambitious is how I got this far.
Thanks to Komal for speaking with us! If you’re interested in participating in or nominating someone for our Senior to Senior series, email us at communications@chatham.edu.
Lirit Gilmore is a Creative Writing and Food Studies student. Lirit’s academic focus is centered in food writing and how it intersects with social location and identity. She is from the DMV and the Midwest, and enjoys baking in her free time. See all her work on Pulse@ChathamU here.