Blossoming Post-Grad: Anusha Deshpande

Written by Anusha Deshpande, Helenes Alum

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Hi my intelligent, baddie, sexy, super kind Helenes!!! 

Since graduation, I have been up to a few things (most of all missing Helenes)! I went to India for three and a half months (met up with Pragya which was so so lovely), substitute taught in Omaha for a couple weeks, and I am now working full-time as a medical assistant at an orthopedic spine clinic (yay big girl job)! 

I think about Helenes all the time – in fact, I wrote about Helenes multiple times in my medical school essays (fingers crossed someone lets me in)! Ultimately, I hope to provide high-quality, affordable healthcare to underserved communities – focusing on building relationships with communities who have historically been overlooked that center around my patients feeling seen, heard, and valued. Through Helenes, my knowledge surrounding social determinants of health and health inequity grew. I learned what it means to serve your community compassionately and ethically. From my fellow Helenes, I had the privilege of immersing myself in various cultures and celebrating the beauty of our diverse heritages. Because of being a Helene, I will be a more compassionate, empathetic physician who is committed to listening to and learning from my patients – working towards a more equitable future of medicine. 

I also spent a couple weeks substitute teaching at Title I schools in Omaha – located in low-income, minority communities similar to South-Central. Growing up in the suburbs of Omaha, I had a lot of reflecting to do on my internal biases, the systemic factors that led to Omaha being such a segregated city, and the new experience I was having working in parts of my city I had never been to despite living in Omaha for 15 years. Once again, I thought a lot about Helenes – focusing on listening to my students, recognizing my own privilege and acknowledging my position as a guest in my students’ communities, and encouraging my students to celebrate their own cultures by expressing pride in my background. Teaching my students was incredibly rewarding, and I grew so much from my experience (and gained a lot of patience). My students taught me what it means to go above and beyond for those you care about, as I watched them take care of their friends like family. I felt so much pride in my heart when they started grasping the math concepts or had creative ideas for their science projects. 

Obviously, I miss football season with every ounce of my cardinal and gold heart. I miss getting decked out in my gameday fit with the tattoos (that lasted a week and occasionally gave me a USC tan line for weeks) and glitter. I miss standing in the front row of the Coliseum and dancing on the jumbotron for the whole stadium to see. I miss DJ Malski. Above all, I miss being next to my Helenes family, screaming our lungs out cheering alongside TMB for the Trojans (unless they’re playing Nebraska - then I will be cheering for the Huskers), having raspy voices the next morning, and TUSKING our hearts away (I heard TUSK on TV during the USC vs. Nebraska game, and the Trojan spirit took over my body – I had a biological need to start tusking in my living room). I loved football season so much, because it meant spending time with my Helenes. Those were the best and most core memories I made in college, which I will always remember, even when I’m 97 and singing the fight song while I’m feeding the cows at my animal sanctuary. 

I miss each one of you so so dearly, and to all the new Helenes – welcome home. Sending my love and thoughts to Los Angeles all the way from Omaha, Nebraska as I’m sitting here typing this in my Helenes t-shirt. You truly are some of the most incredible people I know, and each one of you leaves me in jaw-dropping, speechless, awe, all of the time. Fight on baddies. 

Helenes love and all of mine, 

Anusha Deshpande