If elected president of the Yale College Council, Diksha Brahmbhatt ’18 will look to channel the “power of face-to-face collaborations” and facilitate partnerships both within and beyond the council.

“We need someone who deeply cares not about the title, but about connecting the community and being a face that is approachable,” Brahmbhatt said. “There is a power in everyday connections and that is what I do on a daily basis. I try to connect people with each other.”

Connecting people is a big part of what Brahmbhatt does on campus, she said. As Berkeley College’s YCC representative, Brahmbhatt has spent this year developing ways for students to engage with the New Haven community beyond community service activities. She is also a FOOT leader and part of the Civic Leadership Initiative, which aims to empower Yalies to make change in their community. She is also a Berkeley College Master’s Aide.

As YCC president, Brahmbhatt would work to connect the YCC taskforces with other organizations at Yale and in New Haven. She said YCC projects can sometimes become “insular” and get placed on the back burner when students are busy. Instead, YCC taskforces should actively build relationships and partnerships with groups that have similar missions, she said.

Brahmbhatt said she also envisions YCC utilizing its unique position and connection with University administrators to empower the voices of other student leaders. She said YCC leaders often engage in face-to-face meetings with administrators, but few other organizations have the same access.

“The YCC president and vice president are important, but they shouldn’t be the only faces for students on campus,” she said, adding that as president she would bring student leaders of other organizations to joint meetings with administrators in order to facilitate discussions.

Brahmbhatt said she would also work with peer liaisons to increase the presence of the cultural centers in residential colleges.

“The residential college needs to be a comfortable, inclusive living space,” she said.

Brahmbhatt’s friends and professors praised her dedication and passion, and highlighted the ways in which she has enriched the Yale community.

“One of Diksha’s best traits is that she genuinely listens to what others have to say and doesn’t come to conclusions until she has every piece of information,” Shreni Shah ’18, Brahmbhatt’s teammate in the dance group MonstRAASity, said. “This was very evident last semester as she did her best to step back and hear each story, and made it her first priority to listen and to ensure the emotional and mental well-being of her friends and peers.”

Elizabeth Karron ’18, who is also in Berkeley, said Brahmbhatt is committed to building a campus environment in which everyone feels welcome. For example, Karron said, Brahmbhatt helped run a book club within Berkeley as a way to bring together students from different class years to bond over stories and food.

Anthropology and International Affairs professor Marcia Inhorn described Brahmbhatt as a “bright spark” and a “natural leader.”

“Diksha would do her best to make the YCC the crucial ‘hub’ for all the other student groups on campus, thereby helping to link them to the Yale administration,” Inhorn said. “In short, I think the world of Diksha. If I could vote, I would vote for her to be president.”