21 Under 21 Series: Vaishnavi Siripurapu

Hometown: Mooresville, NC

Major(s): Biology (BS) & Women and Gender Studies; Minor: Medical Anthropology

As a NARAL Pro-Choice America Campus Ambassador and a UNC Women's Center Programming Student Leader, Vaishnavi is very committed to external advocacy. After graduation, she plans to be either an obstetrician or gynecologist.

“As an Indian woman, being in reproductive health has been a difficult journey, to say the least. Within Indian culture, reproductive health, sax, and sexuality are all deemed a very taboo, and are thought to not be a field that girl should go into. Growing up, when I was first entering in this field, I thought that my identity as a South Asian woman would hold me back. I would assimilate to white spaces around me and try not to seem "too Indian". I wouldn't wear my bindi to conferences, I was afraid to be seen in a saree in public, and I wouldn't speak Telugu to my parents all in order to feel more respected in my field. However, as I grew I realized that my passion for reproductive health is inspired and not in spite of my identity, but because of it. It is crucial to have a heavy focus on reproductive health in South Asian communities due to rapid paradigm shifts in South Asian culture and the potential to inspire a new generation of reproductive health leaders in a global climate that needs efforts in this field. My identity as a South Asian woman has gone from something that I cover in my reproductive health work to something that I celebrate, and I hope that is the case for many other activists.”

“To be honest, every day at Carolina is a big accomplishment for me. I'm a first-generation student and I honestly never thought I'd even have the ability to go to college. Some days it's really hard, but I hear remember that this opportunity is unprecedented for women in my family, and so I'm truly grateful for every day that I'm here.”