My resume is available for download here in MS Word format.

Introduction
I'm a recently graduated student of the University of Virginia with a pretty varied-looking resume--but I think that all of my experience has been valuable in one way or another. Currently, I am working in the Midwest and am beginning to study for the Patent Bar exam. My goal is to become a patent attorney and work in biology-related intellectual proerty law. Here, I've written a kind of mini-autobiography. Each section is independent, so please skim through!

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Growing up
I've spent about half of my life in Canada, and half in the States. I was born in Canada, and went through a French Immersion elementary school program (where all subjects were taught in French) there. I moved to the States at the end of elementary school, and my high school years were at Thomas Jefferson High School in Northern Virginia. My parents are both Indian, and while my home is here in the States, I have strong cultural ties to my heritage thanks to them. I grew up studying both Indian and Western music and various types of dance, including Bharatanatyam, a style of classical Indian dance.

How did I decide on law school?
I graduated from the University of Virginia in May of 2007, with a B.S. in Biology and a B.A. in French. Until about a year and a half ago, I was planning on pursuing a Ph.D in Molecular Biology and Genetics--I worked for credit in a lab, and applied to Ph.D programs. Through my experience in the lab and during my grad school interviews, however, I found myself constantly asking where all this pure scientific research could be applied in today's society. Since the goal of pure science is just discovery, there is often no immediate link between research and society. To me, that link is important, so after a long bout of soul-searching, I decided to change tracks. I talked to most of my friends and family, and after considering some options and talking to friends at the Virginia law school, I decided that law would be a good fit for me.

What am I going to do with a legal education?
Right now, the science of biology is booming, and it needs good lawyers who have an interest in science and its application in the real world. My goal is to fit that niche and to be the liaison between the new biotech industry and the practical world. There are so many links between biology and law today--bioethical questions are becoming more important, forensic analyses in criminal cases make up crucial evidence, and the intellectual property in genetic engineering alone is expanding rapidly, to name a few examples. This is an incredibly exciting time to be involved in biology and the law, and I know that I would enjoy being an active part of both.

What am I doing now?
After I decided on changing tracks from research to law, my life took several quick turns. I got engaged over the summer of 2007, and was married about seven months later. Immediately after the wedding, I moved halfway across the country to be with my husband. Now, while I am waiting on law school admission decisions, I am living with my husband while he does his graduate studies in Music.

My wedding and moving prevented me from finding a long-term job right after graduation. However, now that things have settled down, my husband and I are ready to take on my law school ambitions. Additionally, the year off has provided me with some valuable experience outside of academia.
My Arangetram
At the same time that I was having doubts about my line of study, I was preparing intensively for my arangetram, or solo debut in Indian Classical dance. For me, my arangetram is probably my most important accomplishment to date. It consists of a two-hour long performance in front of an open audience (in my case, that was about 500 people), showcasing an extensive repertoire of dances. I prepared for it over the course of four years, and was eventually practicing for it for several hours each day. It is the equivalent of a thesis in dance, and like a thesis, it is only the beginning of studying the subject. I think that my arangetram was instrumental in teaching me to have the drive to pursue whatever I most want to do. When I was having trouble deciding whether switching careers was a good idea, the arangetram reminded me that I can be versatile and adabtible, and with the discipline and confidence that such an endeavor gave me, I have since felt much more ready to handle all the other aspects of my life.

What's with this website's title?
It's a phrase from a poem by Charles Baudelaire, entitled Invitation au voyage. The poem has beautiful imagery, so I stole some!