A biology and French double major, a Goldwater Scholar, a Rhodes Scholar finalist and a member of the Amherst softball team — these are just a few of the ways to identify the multitalented Donna Leet. I have been fortunate enough to have called her my teammate for the past two years, but never once did I hear Leet brag about these many accomplishments. Her humble, approachable manner combined with her quirky personality and incredible work ethic makes her an integral part of the Amherst community.
Men’s Cross Country
The men’s cross country team enjoyed a successful season, highlighted by a fourth-place finish in the NESCAC championship and a second-place finish at the NCAA Division III regionals. The team also made its first appearance at the NCAA Division III championships since 2009, placing ninth overall at the national meet.
Standouts from the year include Dan Crowley ’16, Mohamed Hussein ’18 and Greg Turissini ’15, who all earned second team All-NESCAC honors.
When Dvij Bajpai first introduced himself to me, he told me to pronounce his first name like, “Dvij, as in, in-DIVID-ual.” The word could not be more fitting. One would be hard-pressed to find a renaissance scholar as eclectic as Dvij Bajpai. While at Amherst, Bajpai has distinguished himself in fields as diverse as mathematics, physics, music, literature, engineering and art.
Growing Up in Mumbai
Men’s Basketball
Coming off an appearance in the NCAA Division III Final Four, the Jeffs once again made the NCAA tournament this season, but this time fell in the second round of competition.
There were many bright spots throughout the year as the Jeffs began the season by hosting and winning the Ken Wright ’52 Invitational, scoring 282 points over the course of three games.
Fulbrights
Amar Mukunda
Amar Mukunda is a computer science and geology major who is passionate about translation. He has been offered a Fulbright grant to travel to Switzerland and research Kamusi, an “online living dictionary” currently under development.
Within the Amherst community, Chris Tamasi has become something of a household name. Although his role as captain of the football team is more than enough to make him stand out, Tamasi’s genuine and caring personality has left an even larger impression on the Amherst community than his athletic endeavors. Tamasi’s friendly, outgoing nature has brought him success in everything from theater to the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, touching the lives of many individuals on campus.
Coming to Amherst
If you found yourself in Frost Cafe the morning I sat down to interview Kyra Ellis-Moore, you would have observed a seemingly constant stream of people giving her a quick wave and a smile as they walked by. You would have seen how engaged she was in our conversation, how much she listened and thought about each question I posed for her. You might have been amazed, as I was, that she was somehow able to listen intently and speak from the heart during our one-on-one conversation, while simultaneously showing the same attentiveness to everyone passing by.
