FISHERS, Ind. — When Rahil Thanawala transferred to West Point from Indiana University, he did not know what was ahead.
Coming in during the COVID-19 pandemic meant his entire program was changed.
"This is a position I never thought I'd be in, I thought I was going to be graduating with the rest of my friends," he said.
For the first couple of years, students were secluded and were unable to leave the college for months. As they went through this historic year, the class adopted the motto "like none before."
Thanawala lived that every day. As the first Indian American from central Indiana to go to West Point, he said there was a small population of students of Southeast Asian descent.
What they noticed is there were no Hindu religious services held at the college, so Thanawala's friends worked with school chaplains to bring them to the university.
"They've always had it in their mission to be inclusive of everyone and sometimes all it takes is asking the right questions," the Fishers native said.
One of those questions was how they could bring the service to graduation services. So after months of planning, this group was able to host the first Hindu Baccalaureate service during graduation this spring.
Thanawala said after watching other major religious services happen during graduation, he was inspired to get this one started.
"Having this service just cemented our community in West Point," he said.
While only a few graduates attended, Thanawala said he knows this will continue for years to come.
"If I can do it, anyone else can, it's all about getting people interested," he said.
After graduation, Thanawala went to Fort Moore in Georgia for the basic officer leadership course.
