When Lesther and Vishwas arrived in Boston from Kenya and India, they were warned about cold winters. They have since learned there are bigger adjustments to life in the US. These freshmen study computer science at Sattler College. They share their backgrounds, reasons for choosing Sattler, and their experiences coming to the US for the first time. Both students were attracted by the opportunity to study the Bible alongside their scientific studies, all at an affordable cost through the entrustment model. After Sattler, Lesther plans to pursue bioinformatics, while Vishwas hopes to start a values-based IT business in Delhi. They both discuss differences between the US and their home countries, and what each country can learn from the other.
Learn more about partnering with Sattler College and the International Living Grant.
https://sattler.edu/giving/
When Lesther and Vishwas arrived in Boston from Kenya and India, they were warned about cold winters. They have since learned there are bigger adjustments to life in the US. These freshmen study computer science at Sattler College. They share their backgrounds, reasons for choosing Sattler, and their experiences coming to the US for the first time. Both students were attracted by the opportunity to study the Bible alongside their scientific studies, all at an affordable cost through the entrustment model. After Sattler, Lesther plans to pursue bioinformatics, while Vishwas hopes to start a values-based IT business in Delhi. They both discuss differences between the US and their home countries, and what each country can learn from the other.
Learn more about partnering with Sattler College and the International Living Grant.
https://sattler.edu/giving/
it is march 6, 2024. I am here with vishwas. What's your last name? Vishwas mokharji. Okay, I'm not going to try to say it. And I'm here, lester, lester. What's your last name? Oma. One more time, oma, oma. Yeah, all right, and so I am hoping to just have a conversation with you to sort of highlight your lives, where you came from, what you've experienced from the past, and then why did you come to Boston? And maybe where you want to go later. Continue to attract students from all livable continents over the course of time, and I feel like this year's class has really propelled us towards that goal. How does that sound?
Vishwas Mukherjee:Yeah, that sounds great yeah.
Zack Johnson:Yeah, that's wonderful. Anything All right, okay, so, vishwas, let's start with you. Can you give me like an elevator pitch of your life? Where are you from and how did you get to Boston?
Vishwas Mukherjee:So I'm from Delhi, which is the capital of India, and I don't have like a very big family.
Vishwas Mukherjee:I just have my mom as well as my younger sister.
Vishwas Mukherjee:So it was a very hard life to begin with, like going through like very much physical, emotional, mental trauma while living with my father and stuff, and then getting into like uh, really, really sad stuff through life. Um, but fortunately it was god and his word that pulled me out of it. And, uh and yeah, and I just applied to like different colleges in india as well as like United States as well, and I was searching for a community which will definitely help me to go through these hard times and increase me and make me more lovable in like God's eyes. So, yeah, so that's why I applied to like several different colleges and I got an opportunity to attend Sattler and I was like like okay, I didn't know much about Sadler, but I went through the mission and like I was like very much happy to see a community that was building around like God and his kingdom and I was like this is the place I want to be. Yeah, so that's why I chose Sadler and that's how I came here to be in Boston.
Zack Johnson:All right, thanks Vishwas and Lester. What about you? Same question.
Lesther Sheldon:I'm from Kenya and, yeah, I basically probably don't really need to talk about my life story, but I came to hear about Settler from a friend, and it was in a season of my life that I was also applying to several different colleges here in the States and also back in Kenya.
Lesther Sheldon:I had just finished high school in 2022 and was moving into a stage in my life that I was expected to go into college and hence was applying to several different colleges in Kenya and in the States, and during that process, I came to hear about Settler from a friend who had gotten an application to Settler and also had been admitted before. And, going through Settler's statement, I would say Settler College stood out to me because of its tuition model and, apart from that, also the fact that it was the only Christian college I applied to. It was really great and my parents were impressed with it and also my other relatives are impressed with it, and they were like this is the college that you need to go to, and I was like I'm going to go to Kosella, yeah, sure.
Zack Johnson:Okay, yeah, I didn't know that, and so maybe we'll just talk a little bit about your revival here. What's been some of the highlights of boston? Maybe we'll do a highlight and like, oh, this is harder than I thought it would be. Maybe it's the weather, maybe it's the the new england hard knows people that you're surrounded I'm just yeah. Tell me a little bit about your arrival to Boston and what you found here.
Vishwas Mukherjee:So, like it was my first time ever traveling abroad and it was such a new experience, landing into a new land and seeing diverse people around myself, even at the airport, I was like, wow, this is something really new. I'm stepping into the next phase of my life where I will meet many different people and see amazing things and stuff. And when I arrived here, I first went to the drones, then came here at sattler and it was a nice experience, I would say. The environment's very lovely, I would say, and definitely the weather. The weather has been like quite a different ride for me because, uh, in winter it went below like freezing and I've never been in a climate such freezing. So I would say it was a nice experience. I would say yeah did we?
Zack Johnson:we? We let you know that it was going to be a hard winter. Before the snow came right, yeah, okay, good, you didn't feel like your life was in danger or anything. No, I'm just kidding Lester, what about you?
Lesther Sheldon:Oh, my highlight about Boston has definitely been the Boston Commons. I came into Boston probably I came into the States first. The first time I came into the States, I went to Florida, stayed there for about two weeks before coming into Boston, and then you said you had an aunt. Yeah, I have a. I have an aunt down in Florida. And then, uh, came into Boston two weeks after staying in the States.
Lesther Sheldon:And also for me, it was my first time moving out of Kenya without my parents, cause the only other times I'd traveled out of Kenya to have been to African countries and all that times I had been with my parents, and it was my first time staying away from home without my like. It was my first time moving out of the country without my parents. And coming into Boston I expected it to be more of a shock and you know, uh, staying away from your own country and all that, but then I fell in love with the city. I love Boston Commons, I loved the, I loved the park, I loved the people, I loved the weather and I loved Settler.
Lesther Sheldon:And also, at the same time, you asked us a question about the Tundan. I would say the weather has been one thing for me. Yeah, I didn't really expect winter to be that very cold, you know talking temperatures below freezing. It was my first time experiencing temperatures below freezing point and also the snow and it was such a. I would say it was an interesting experience. At the same time, while it was more of wow, I didn't expect this, but I would say settler community has provided a warmth even amidst winter.
Zack Johnson:Yeah, I, when I was in college, my freshman year. I'd never lived through a long winter either, and it was. It was. There was a day it was like negative 45 out negative 45 Fahrenheit have you? Does it get that cold in Canada? I'm sure it does, it was so cold.
Zack Johnson:But I went out and a lot of people there had an experience that and a lot of people weren't wearing gloves and earmuffs and we had to walk from A to B, which was like it was only a 10 minute walk, but a lot of us got frost nip on our fingers and my ears. And then the instinct is to put you don't know this till it's too late. You want to put warm water on your, your fingers and your ears, and then you're not supposed to do that, right, you're supposed to like put lukewarm or even room temperature, and then my ears still are cold. So you've had it better than I have.
Zack Johnson:And then I did want to just talk about a couple things about just the sattler community and one of the. When I take a step back and look at this new, I feel like your class, or the class the entering class of 23, there's a much bigger international presence in it than the previous classes, and one of the one of the things that's interesting to me is where I always try to recruit people to say, hey, you're going to be studying, yeah, a sort of for a vocation or an occupation, maybe a career. What do you want to study, vishwas?
Vishwas Mukherjee:I want to study computer science.
Zack Johnson:Computer science in Leicester you are studying.
Lesther Sheldon:Well, I'm more into a track that is seeking for bioinformatics or a combination of some courses in computer science and also human biology.
Zack Johnson:Okay, yeah, so both of you are interested in the Bachelor of Science? Yes, sure, and what's unique to Sattler is that we also really want you to want the Word of God so deeply that you're willing to invest in the study of biblical languages like Greek and Hebrew, and the study of church history and the fundamental texts of Christianity and Christian doctrines. And so tell me about how you manage wanting to study computer science in addition to being part of a community that is studying sort of the Bible together on top of this other part. Do you have anything to say about that?
Vishwas Mukherjee:Yeah. So I went to a Christian school, christian private school in India, and it also had the same system where you were studying the rest of the courses, like science, social science, but with that you also had a subject called moral education.
Zack Johnson:Moral education.
Vishwas Mukherjee:And it was like totally based on Bible and it was like every single year and every week we had like one at least one class for motor education and we still learn about like biblical stories and different kinds of christian songs too. It wasn't like a huge drastic change for me coming here and studying biblical subjects, but it was definitely. The biblical subjects here are like much more advanced, I would say, and it's like much thought-provoking and yeah, that that was my experience. Like it was.
Lesther Sheldon:It didn't feel totally different, but it was a huge leap from what I am used to thanks muster anything to say yeah, for me it was my first time actually combining a pursuit of the sciences and like what I would say, the knowledge of education and all that combined with the things like discipleship and also the biblical languages.
Lesther Sheldon:It was my first time because earlier on in my high school I didn't take any religious classes and any religious education classes and I wasn't expected to live up to any standards by the school. As much as it was more of a Christian school, I wasn't expected to live up to any certain standards by the school concerning things like my spiritual life and also. So Sadler College stood out uniquely for me, especially for the fact that I had to study my sciences, study my classes there is, the courses in line with my major, and also at the same time, I had to study in other classes that were more driven towards being this kingdom Christian, and I was really impressed by that. It was my first time. I didn't find it more of a shock, or rather something that I would turn away from, but that's something that I really wanted to explore.
Zack Johnson:Yeah, Got it. And then, how many languages do both of you speak?
Vishwas Mukherjee:I would say I speak two languages, english and Hindi.
Zack Johnson:Hindi. I speak three languages.
Lesther Sheldon:What languages do you speak? My most primary language is a tribal language, is Luwu, and then I speak the national language in Kenya and then I also speak English.
Zack Johnson:And what's your heart language? What's like your go-to? What do you think and dream?
Vishwas Mukherjee:in oh, definitely Hindi.
Zack Johnson:And then so, in addition to those languages, how has it been to learn sort of the Greek alphabet and to start to dip your toes in reading the Bible in Greek? I'd love to hear your perspective on it. Has it been illuminating or you're like, ah, whatever.
Vishwas Mukherjee:I was totally excited to learn a new language because I just knew like two languages. Because, uh, I just knew like two languages and, uh, within hindi, I used to speak, um, some sort of urdu and a bit of like different, uh, languages of different states as well. It was just a mixture of languages and I really wanted to like learn every single language that I could think of, because it's uh, it's so inviting for different people of different places if you speak their language. So I was like very much into like, yeah, if I'm getting to learn a new language which is Greek, I would definitely take it. Yeah, and plus, if I'm able to read Bible in Greek and listen more than Shaw. So that was my perspective on learning Greek.
Zack Johnson:What about you? And you'll start Hebrew next year as sophomores, right yeah, what about you, lester?
Lesther Sheldon:I would say that I felt like I had an advantage over the other local students, especially in learning a new language. That is because the fact that I had to learn two languages before, that is, swahili, because I wasn't taught Swahili when growing up. I only learned Swahili in school and also English. I primarily learned English in school and then had to learn a new language that is Greek. So I felt like I had an advantage or an edge over the other students who probably hadn't taken any classes in any languages before, and also I find it interesting to learn Greek. It has been wonderful to go through my Bible in Greek and open some verses that are pretty much common. I know them in English, but then there's just this joy of reading them in the original language and I love it. So far, I love it.
Zack Johnson:Yeah, that's good to hear. I remember one of my introductions to Sattler was actually through the founder of the college, dr karen will. I took a saturday greek class from him and, like a it wasn't for a grade, so a little less intimidating, but it felt like it was for a grade. No, yeah, and I remember the first time reading a verse in the in, being able to know what the New Testament is saying is Greek and there's a certain connection you feel to the scriptures that's just amplified or something like that. But then at the same time I always say you can still read the Bible and English translations, other translations, and not everybody has to get this Greek experience, but more people definitely should. So now I have another thought comment.
Zack Johnson:So, sattler, part of what I do all the time is trying to figure out how to find the right fit students to come to the institution. And when I tell people that all of our students take a major in addition to the biblical core that that we have, they tell me the only place you're going to find students who will do that is in the international realm that there's. People are finding that there's a decreased demand for biblical literacy and in the united states and maybe even north america, and but that net, that decline in the demand, isn't necessarily as strong internationally. Do you have anything, any thoughts on if that's true or not true and what you've seen here in your time in the United States or even from your peers from Kenya and India?
Lesther Sheldon:I'd generally say that most of my peers go to public universities in Kenya and they're generally not expected to have any knowledge of the biblical languages or just even a concept of the Bible. And so, while it is true that Settler will focus on them and also probably universities or other colleges in the States may have such a decline, I'd say there's almost probably a similar thing happening in Kenya. Most colleges don't require their students to learn anything in relation to the Bible, like it is not part of their core curriculum, and also if there is any such, then it must be a Christian college, not a public college.
Zack Johnson:Yeah, that makes sense. Do you have any comments on that trend or anything to add to that?
Vishwas Mukherjee:yeah. So my peers back in india, they all went to secular colleges. Uh, they didn't had an opportunity to like go to a christian college because, uh, technically, christian colleges in india are not like pushed forward to like you should go and attend these colleges here. Most of the time it's just the entrance exams you give to get into colleges and if you get into like a decently good college, even if it's a Christian college, they don't mind. But still, christian colleges are like very tight and compact and less in India. So most of the colleges are secular and most of the people go to secular colleges.
Zack Johnson:So that maybe that the demand is also on the decline on average, or on average globally, which is a problem we must fix it.
Zack Johnson:We must fix it Right, graham. Yes, I only say that sarcastically, but it is when we look at why we're here and doing what we do. Trying to fight against some of the trends is by actually just taking practical action, like the number of young people who are eager to learn the Bible and really try to devote themselves to everything they can there. I'd love to just chat about your hopes and aspirations and ambitions. You said you're studying computer science. You're a freshman. You're studying a combination of ambitions. You said you're studying computer science. You're a freshman. You're studying a combination of biology. You're probably trying to take as many classes. Yeah, sure, I just wanted to preface. We don't have a bioinformatics major.
Lesther Sheldon:Yeah sure, we don't have. But then it's more of. I take classes in computer science and probably major in the computer science track and minor in the bio track and then finally it is more of a bioinformatics track in the end. Great, yeah sure. Yeah, so I'd love to just hear so like, my career interest is bioinformatics, but then my major is computer science and minor in human biology.
Zack Johnson:Right, yeah sure. Computer science and mining, human biology right, yeah sure. And we just I, I usually tell students that we are a liberal arts college, which the way that I frame that with a lot of people is your. You can view your, your college experience or your undergrad as a way to get some breath and then afterwards you can specialize. So it's very possible to do that with the majors we have. What, what are your ambitions? Um, with your degrees, with your lives? What are you, what are you hopeful to do? And, uh, I'd love to hear are you, are you hoping to go back to india? Are you hoping to go back to kenya, or what? What's like your, your, your, uh, your ambition for your life?
Vishwas Mukherjee:So I am very much passionate about technology and I want to do something impactful in that field, but I'm very much interested in business as well, so currently I'm thinking of building an IT business which also centers with God and His kingdom and all the teachings that I get from here. Also, I'm not quite sure if I'll be in like India, United States or some other part of the world in the future, but wherever I go, I will try to fulfill the promise that I made with the people I love, as well as fulfilling certain aspects of things that are really needed for Christ and his kingdom.
Zack Johnson:Thanks, Vishwas Lester.
Lesther Sheldon:Yeah, I would say I'm currently uncertain about my decision.
Lesther Sheldon:If what I want to do is significant to well, what I want to do, I believe, is significant to any part of the world, which means I can serve both back in Kenya, here in the States or anywhere else in the world, then I really want to get into computational biology because I feel that is a field that we are really lacking in and there is so much we can do about it. There's so much we can do with bioinformatics, with the huge amount of information we could get from our DNA and use it to make better drugs, use it to probably treat some diseases like genetic disorders, and I'm like that is what interests me, and I can do it from anywhere, any part of the world. I could go back to Kenya, especially where things like computational biology has not really been a thing in the country, and just start doing this and inspire the people to also join me in the field, to use the huge amount of the huge processing power of computers to solve problems in the field of biology.
Zack Johnson:That's a great ambition. I'm not a bioinformatics expert so I won't ask too many questions. There's more like high-level highlights. And then another question I have for both of you. You're allowed to pass. If you don't have answers to this question Is there a burden that you have, for either the people in when you showed up the United States are like, oh man, you people miss something that I know from back home, sort of like what's wrong with you Not necessarily like a critique, but a burden or vice versa, Is there something that you've seen here that you think, oh, I have a burden to share this back with where I came from? Are there any things you're passionate about trying to sort of bring either to the US or from the US back to where you're originally from?
Lesther Sheldon:I would say probably a sense of community, like back in Kenya. If you bought an airplane, probably just traveling from one city to the other, and sit next to a person, you'll probably just start a conversation and talk all throughout the flight and spend time like both of you are total strangers, you've never met before. But then here in the States you bought a plane and you're on the flight, you're never going to talk to the person who is sitting next to you and it's just something that they find I don't find quite as common back in Kenya, but I found it quite common in the States and I wouldn't say I know the reason why there isn't such a strong sense of community. I'd call it or a strong sense of you know, talking to strangers like trying to see if you have a common background or just common interests and even if you don't have just getting to know other people in other places.
Zack Johnson:So there is one thing I'd say so you're saying here people are a little more self-focused on what's in the head.
Lesther Sheldon:People are more self-focused on what's in the head. People are more self-focused Maybe wearing headphones or something.
Lesther Sheldon:Yeah, like bees in the air. You know, I've got to get my work done. Yeah, sure, no. So one thing I really found quite helpful, or rather one thing I'd like people from Canada to improve on, is things like time management. Like it has really been challenging, been challenging, like my first time coming in it was really challenging, because probably my friends would say we're leaving at three and I'm like, oh, back in canada that would mean about 3, 30 pm or something. Then you get to a certain, to a certain way, and so all your friends are all tired of waiting for you, or yes, or you you got late to an appointment and they all started without you. So I'm like probably one thing that I would really love to take back to kenya, if, uh, that is possible, just like things like, uh, time management, yeah, sure, yeah oh, it's a fearful.
Zack Johnson:It's fearful, but I I probably agree with you. I don't know if we want to export everything around time management, but certain things, yeah yeah, certain things, I understand, vishwas.
Vishwas Mukherjee:Yeah, same as Lester's. Second point I want to bring punctuality, which I really appreciate, here back home in Indiaia, because I do feel like, uh, valuing each other's time is very important. If you're like committing yourself for a specific time, a specific place, you should be, you know, there actively, actively be a part of that promise that you made. So that's like the thing that I would would surely take back to India and the thing I would bring here, would be, definitely food.
Vishwas Mukherjee:I miss my mom's hand-cooked food, but I would like to see more of a diverse cuisine here.
Zack Johnson:And who knows if I just am the next revolutionary. For four years boston got it and then, just out of curiosity, this is a maybe, this is a vision for, like the international church body. They're you know, one of when I think aboutattler in both ways, that we think about our mission statement, where we're kind of reworking it right now, but originally we say we seek to prepare students to serve Christ, the church and the world. Every time I sit down and say what are we trying to do, it always comes in that we were trying to equip students to prepare to address some diverse challenges in the church and the world. And there's there's a built-in assumption that, like, the church is a really big part of what it is to be a Christian, it's. It's almost hard to to separate them too.
Zack Johnson:So how do you think about, you know, being a? Now you're a cross-culturally experienced, educated, educated people? How do we, how do we, bring that into the church? Is the? Are there any lessons for the church? Is it supposed to be, as a church, supposed to be, mono-ethnic, ethnic? Do we, do we want to make churches that revolve around ethnicities and language, or or do we have some work for the church to become sort of this international body bound together by Christ and his baptism. That's a huge topic, range of topics, but basically, what are your thoughts about the church and how you're going to interact with that, with your life? I won't hold you to anything you say here, but I think, I think it's important to think about.
Lesther Sheldon:Yeah I I've read about.
Lesther Sheldon:I've read some philosophy about ethnic segregation in churches and kind of like churches need to be ethnically segregated and such stuff.
Lesther Sheldon:And I would say, coming into a place where I was ethnically different and also probably arbitrationally different, from my fellow students and also people You're saying here in the States, I think I found it quite helpful to interact with people from different cultures to see their point of interpretation of the Bible and the scriptures and I value the fact that we are able to come together into this body of Christ that is formed from different parts, not just different parts and forms of talents and gifts, but also different parts and forms of ethnicities and nationalities and also racially different.
Lesther Sheldon:But then there's this unity and there's this wholeness that comes together when the church is composed of people from different ethnic backgrounds. So I'm not a proponent of ethnical segregation in churches and I would say from my own personal experience, the church is supposed to be composed rather churches in the wild are supposed to be composed of people from different ethnic backgrounds, people from different races, because it brings in different point of views in the church and also different interpretations in the church. That is quite helpful to the body of Christ.
Zack Johnson:Yeah, that's helpful. Sure Vishwas any.
Vishwas Mukherjee:Yeah, I would say the same thing that a church should not segregate any person on the basis of language, the skin color, only kind of field they're coming from, because we are all humans, we are all equal in God's eyes. So staying together is like the best thing that we can do in church. Staying together from all different kinds of languages we are coming from or any kind of different cultures we are coming from. Staying together is the best choice here we are coming from or any kind of different cultures we are coming from.
Zack Johnson:Staying together is the best choice here. And then I'll I ask this to everyone I interview here. Here at Sattler, we have this moment of like, sharing a pearl of wisdom with the community, and I'll allow you some choice. Is there, is there either a pearl of wisdom that you've, you've latched on to here upon arrival, or is there a pearl of wisdom that you hold to, that you haven't yet spoken? That kind of is a guiding, a guiding point of wisdom and in your life that you like to think about. So either repeat one that you've heard or share a, share a new one, any, anything that comes to mind. Do you want to go first? Yeah, it's a big. It's a big one.
Vishwas Mukherjee:Yeah yeah, I mean there were. From the time I have been here, I've heard a lot of pearls, yeah, and every single pearl brings in something that is much more valuable for me. Uh, one of the things that I would like to personally bring in would be like a sense of brotherhood more, uh like because I have seen people all all around the place, uh, that we are conversing with each other, we are living with each other, but still a brotherhood is missing. I do feel like that, and that brotherhood, I would like to say, should be brought up in and someone should go up to the pulpit and talk about brotherhood more.
Zack Johnson:Brotherhood. Yeah, can you say more about what brotherhood looks like to you? What brotherhood looks like to you? Like, I think I know what you're getting at, but just being a little, bit more intimately connected. Yeah, I would say this.
Zack Johnson:I've even heard it labeled as like camaraderie, or even, looking at some of the strong group communities like gangs yeah, I'm a little kidding, but people have thought like, hey, in, in essence, a Christian community should look a little bit more gang like, and I've heard talks on that. Is that kind of what you're getting at?
Vishwas Mukherjee:Not so extreme as gang like, but definitely like staying together and being more intimate with your life and how you present yourself in front of different people. Like I don't. I don't like when people stay reserved, uh, even though you have known each other for the longest time. Like, what is keeping you reserved? Is it like your doubt for then the person sitting in front of you? Or is it the doubt that you have for yourself, like if you tell yourself or tell something about yourself to the other person what he or she will think? That's now how our mind should be. Our mind should be like expressive and very much expressive, and should like present every single thought that we have that needs like a touch for somebody else or their thoughts. So, yeah, that should be a brotherhood.
Zack Johnson:Yeah, I think brotherhood All right, and Lester, what about you?
Lesther Sheldon:Wow, I've had a lot of piles of wisdom in my life prior to Settler, also definitely a lot of them at Settler. But then having this just found me at a season of my life that I'm trying to embrace this idea of letting go of perfection and embracing instead the pursuit of excellence, whereby excellence I mean the better of two options or the lesser of two evils. Are confronted by decisions and we have this intrinsic sense as human beings to go after the ideal perfection, but then, uh, I would say that most of the time causes us to be unhappy and have a sense of unsatisfaction and a lack of fulfillment if in the end, we don't achieve it, because a lot of people don't achieve it, because, yeah, like this, nobody can really say they've achieved the ideal sense of perfection. So I've later come to embrace the idea of letting go of the idea of ideal perfection or the absolute perfection, but then embracing what I would call relative perfection or excellence, the better of two options or the lesser of two evils.
Zack Johnson:Yeah, sure, or excellence, the better of two options or the lesser of two evils? Yeah, sure, so brotherhood and the pursuit of excellent versus the pursuit of absolute perfection, sure, yeah, it's interesting. I, jesus says be perfect. Yeah, your father in heaven is perfect, and I actually we've thought about that word a little bit. The word, the greek word, is telos. Yeah, and somehow we're actually supposed to strive for that as humans. Um, and the english word perfect probably doesn't capture what this is getting at, but it is sort of this hey, make yourself, you'll never. You can't be god, but you can chase. You can just be a god chess, you can be a god chaser and I like, I like both of those.
Zack Johnson:Yeah, I was also in with brotherhood. A lot of people are like, would you give, would you sacrifice your lives for each other? That's that's sort of a brotherhood. And then the last question I'll ask before we, before we end here um, is there somebody that's really influenced you in your life, either a, an author or a person that really has has had an influence on who you've become and who you want to be? That you think about, um, or it could be a book that you read that just you think about a lot. Any, any big sources of influence in your lives.
Vishwas Mukherjee:I would definitely say it was my mom who was like the biggest influence in my life. Her resilience and being tough in those hard moments in life really showed me how great of a person she was and every day when I wake up I try to be resilient and resilient and being like, have a nice heart for people, listen to them and talk with them and be their friend, I would say so your mom?
Lesther Sheldon:I like it lester wow a lot of people have definitely influenced my life and, I would say, at various seasons in my life. If if you ask the same question, I'd probably give you a different answer to every season of my life, but then one person that has generally stood out all throughout my life. You know when I was born. I was first named after Obama, were you really? Yeah, I was first named. What year were you born? I was born in 2004. The first time I became a senator of Illinois. I didn't know that.
Lesther Sheldon:Yeah, so I was named after Obama and for a long time my nickname at home, the nickname that my parents would call me, was Obama and all that stuff. So I think there's been a lot of inspiration from him in my life. I look at all the challenges he faced as a person and how he emerged in the end. I do not desire to become the president of Kenya sometime, but then I definitely we definitely have to agree that he is a person who overcame several challenges in his life and went against the odds to achieve whatever he achieved. And I would say, well, I don't hold the same ambitions in life as he had. I think his spirit yes, we can still inspires me a lot. Yes, I can do this. People may have not done people in my life and probably have not done it in the past, but that doesn't define and that doesn't prevent me from doing it. Yes, I can yeah, sure, great.
Zack Johnson:Hey, that's I. I don't know if I we want to pick up that nickname people might start, but that's a really interesting piece of your past, graham.
Zack Johnson:Any questions that you're dying to ask, raise your eyebrows twice. If no, I'm just kidding. Well, vishwas and Lester, thanks so much for joining me today. I usually take some time to make some announcements, but I think that the biggest ones, if you're listening, come and visit us in Boston. We have a couple of events coming up. One is actually a conference called Therefore Go. That gets at dealing with harder things in communities, so that's exciting. Then we have an open house. So later on I should know these dates, but if you don't know them, just go.
Zack Johnson:Sattleredu slash events.
Zack Johnson:We have an open house and then we have high school week as well.
Zack Johnson:So if you know a high schooler, you are a high schooler or you want to give us a high schooler to chase.
Zack Johnson:We do like a week of high schoolers who are thinking about college, where we give them a little bit of a taste to what it is to be a Sattler student, a little bit of a taste to what it is to be a Salish student, and then, just in light of the spirit of our conversation, we really value you here in our community and we're hoping that you guys succeed, fulfill your ambitions and, most importantly, learn how to serve God and be a light in the world and things like that. And hopefully we can get to that six of six having students here continuously from all over the world. And I did want to mention that in order to make that happen, sattler is launching a little bit of some advancement initiatives so we can accept more people and make it more possible. So if you're looking to give to Sattler to make sort of international student grants possible, if you're looking to give to Sattler to make sort of international student grants possible, there's a place to give on our website there to look around.