Mentor Spotlight: Priya Gill
When asked how she maintains balance between work, academics, and her social life, Harvard mentor Priya Gill recalls her “three rules”:
- Always sleep eight hours per night
- Exercise regularly
- Value close relationships just as much as academics
This last rule stems directly from her high school experience: she prioritized academics so intensely that the other parts of her life–namely her interpersonal relationships–suffered.
When she arrived at Harvard she met people who had somehow prioritized both, excelling academically and making time for friends and family.
After realizing this lack of balance and struggling to find fulfillment, Priya took two gap years to work at a startup, but more importantly to dig deep and find her passions.
Upon returning, she decided to study Psychology and Economics, a combo suitable for her passion for behavioral economics. She co-founded a magazine on undergraduate mental health and conducts research at the Harvard Business School on the intersection of time and happiness.
It can be easy to write off Priya’s story as a “grass is always greener” narrative: she got into Harvard and can now look back on the process. But Priya emphasizes that this is not the case, saying she wouldn’t want her own future children to follow in her footsteps:
“I would give my own children the advice–or I would try to lead by example and encourage them–to prioritize their social relationships and also prioritize their mental health.”
Learning from mentors like Priya gives students the confidence they need to relentlessly follow their own curiosity and the perspective they need to understand life is a marathon, not a sprint.
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