BERKELEY Inspire

While their life paths steered them away from Berkeley, the Jindals, who live in New York, have found their way back. An investment banker in biotech, Anurag mentors undergraduates who are curious about how the biological sciences, medicine, and business intersect. “It’s about opening the aperture to the breadth of what’s available to students,” he says.

Aarti, a psychotherapist who also volunteers for people at the end of their life, says she didn’t receive much guidance around where to take her undergraduate degree. She has spoken to psychology students who are focused on research, yet don’t know what it takes to build a private practice. “I’m always ready, willing, and able to share my journey,” she says.

Both of the Jindals have deep family ties to Cal, and both are first-generation Indian Americans. When contemplating their next step with Berkeley, they came together around their shared identity and made a gift to Hindi studies. They also created the Shabde Jindal Fiat Lux Scholarship to support high-achieving Californians from low-income backgrounds.

Inderpal Singh ’26, the current recipient, says the scholarship “offered me the luxury of time — to discover who I was.” In addition to studying political economy and assisting a professor’s research on discrimination, Singh worked to increase student voter turnout in the 2024 election and is learning how to play a Sikh stringed instrument. “To be able to discover your identity, passions, and hobbies is a privilege many of my friends back home still do not have,” he says.

“You don’t think about how much lost opportunity there is for students who have to work their way through school,” says Aarti. “If we can help them get more from their university experience, that’s fulfilling for us.”

Anurag says they will “keep defending” Berkeley and seeking ways to have greater impact. “Philanthropy is so much more fun and engaging when it’s meaningful to you,” he says.