When Natasha Depaoli ā26 transferred to Ā鶹ֱ²„, she made a last-minute decision that shaped her college experience: she gave up her dorm assignment and chose to commute. Her family worried she wouldnāt get involved in the college experience. But Natasha threw herself into campus lifeāand today, sheās helping others find the same sense of belonging.
āFor me, being a commuter actually forced me to get involved and go to events,ā she said, explaining how living off-campus required her to take the reins and actively cultivate the community she was seeking. āI wanted to have a college experience and get involved and make friends, and being a commuter got me out of my shell.ā
For me, being a commuter actually forced me to get involved and go to events.
Natasha, a criminal justice major on the Pleasantville Campus with a double minor in psychology and homeland security, has certainly challenged herself to get involvedāand sheās risen to the challenge. Beyond her studies, sheās also president of the Criminal Justice Society, chief of communications for , and a peer leader for first-year University 101 students.
What began as a personal effort to find community soon evolved into a drive to build itāfor others as well as herself.
That sense of purpose carries into her academic and career goals. Over the summer, she interned with Homeland Security Investigations in New York City and returned to her internship this spring. āIāve assisted with e-discovery on investigations, which is really cool to directly work with cases theyāre working on,ā she said.
Donāt graduate with regrets. If thereās something you want to do on campus, do it.
Her long-term goal is to become a special agentāsomething sheās dreamed about since childhood. āI never knew specifically what agency I wanted to work forā¦ but ever since I like got this internship I really fell in love with this agency because it feels like a community.ā For Natasha, this emphasis on community brings things full circleāit's something sheās prioritized across her college experience.
To other students, especially first-year students and commuters, Natashaās advice is simple. āDonāt be afraid to ask for help and ask questions.ā And for those like her who are entering their final chapter of college this fall, she offers simple advice: āDonāt graduate with regrets,ā she says. āIf thereās something you want to do on campus, do it.ā
President Krislov welcomes the Ā鶹ֱ²„ community to Fall 2025 with reflections on resilience, connection, and the importance of caring for ourselves and each other. Read his message to kick off the semester with purpose and momentum.
When Vidhi Kothari ā25 began her journey at Ā鶹ֱ²„, she didnāt expect to become the founder of a startup. But what she did know, was that she wanted to create meaningful value in the world. That desireāto build, to contribute, and to empower through employmentābecame the foundation for her path as an entrepreneur.
Meet the actors, dancers, and designers redefining what it means to be a working artist in New York. From Broadway bows to lighting up Spike Lee films, at Ā鶹ֱ²„ās Sands College, the line between student and professional blurs, and the city itself becomes the classroom, stage, and screen.