Meet Our Students

MAJORS: Politics; Writing
MINORS: Education Studies; Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
INVOLVEMENT: IC Rowing, Pathways Peer Leader, Peer Career Advisor, South Asian Student Association, ICTV, IC Model UN

When Ashan was looking for colleges, he wasn't ready to choose a major, but he also worried about not choosing one. That search led him to Ithaca College's Exploratory Program, where he found both structure and freedom. Through the program, he connected with caring advisors, explored new academic interests, and built relationships with other students who were discovering their own paths.

His assigned mentor became a pivotal guide on his academic journey. He began to pursue his interests more intentionally. "It was the first time I had actively studied political theory," Ashan says. "It was about understanding why things were the way they were. It was the first time I had found words for a lot of the systems I had experienced." Along the way, Ashan explored subjects ranging from politics to the science of fiction, eventually adding a second major in writing. “My Ithaca seminar was The Science of Fiction and we looked at the neuroscience behind storytelling.”

Just as important, the Exploratory Program introduced him to a community of students asking the same questions he was. Having that network helped him embrace uncertainty and see exploration as an opportunity rather than a problem.

Ashan also explored outside of his classes, joining the rowing team despite never having been part of an athletic team before. By sophomore year, he was mentoring other students as a Pathways Peer Leader.

Now headed to Oxford University to pursue a master of science in modern South Asian studies, Ashan sees graduate school as an opportunity to deepen his interests in the region's history, politics, and cultural narratives while strengthening his creative work as a writer. Looking back, he found that keeping his options open led further than he ever imagined.