Name: Sonalee “Sona”
Hometown: Voorhees, NJ
Major: Environmental Studies
Year: Senior
Club(s)/Organization(s) that I'm involved with:
India Temple Association, The Owl Ambassadors
Place of residence: Voorhees, NJ (commuter)
Best place to get a cheese steak: Pat’s. However I am more than willing to broaden my torpedo roll’s horizons.
Favorite city activity: Exploring. From Olde City to West Philly, I am always excited about becoming better acquainted with my metropolitan area. I enjoy studying maps and stumbling upon those few untouched diamonds in the rough like specialty boutiques and exotic cafés.
Favorite class at Temple: Tie, between History 1877-present & Re-defining 19th century portraiture.
Favorite memory from freshman year: Late night cramming at the 24-hour Tech Center huddled around a group of study buddies and a stack of those empty cardboard drink trays from Starbucks.
Piece of advice for incoming/prospective students: Don’t over-stress about college. The next four years are all that you have to let new areas of interest blossom both academically and socially. No matter where you choose to enroll, you will be going for your major as first priority. So try to make your choice a little easier. Consider your decision to be more like shopping for a home. In which do you see yourself living and studying comfortably?
Why you chose Temple: Having been accepted by (yes, literally) twenty-one other schools, I consider myself to be Temple’s poster child. “I could have gone anywhere, but I chose Temple.” I like the fact that I can walk from class to class without being exhausted, while checking email using our campus-wide Wi-Fi. It’s all about the little things. Plus our FANTASTIC Honors Program is like flying first class.
How has Temple changed you for the better: I feel that I am more aware of myself. Interesting response, I know. Coming from a high school with the identical diverse background that Temple has to offer, I found myself as the same syrup on a different waffle. In order to allow my personality to sweeten I discovered different tastes and visions in conversations with professors and friends like my love for art, history and bagels.
Favorite restaurant in the city: Bellini Grill (Italian) – Rittenhouse. It’s like you’ve just booked yourself a table in the heart of Rome. Already being a cozy place with Tuscan décor, the waiters serve up some convincing personality of their own.
What are your plans after graduation: Inherit my father’s environmental laboratory and expand to northern New Jersey and Pennsylvania. I also want to open up my own bakery & separate restaurant.
Favorite/best aspect of Temple: Diverse campus life in every way, shape and form. I know from which food truck to get a delicious Greek crepe and where I can sign up for African dance lessons.
What do you think makes Temple unique: What makes Temple unique is the fact that every student arrives here for his/her own individual purpose. Then the fusion of those purposes into friendships creates our tight-knit family. When you are able to walk along Liacouras Walk and receive a smile in return for yours from a complete stranger, that’s when you know you’re in a place you can call home.
Hobbies: I enjoy sending hand-written postcards to friends while traveling and I collect everything tangible. Taking candid photos, trying ethnic foods and watching foreign films rank highly as well.
One thing you never leave your home without: My iTouch. Every life needs a soundtrack.