Members of the HHS South Asian Affinity Group display traditional clothing at a recent event.

Mike Wilander, advisor to the South Asian Affinity Group at Hopkinton High School, wants the community to know that its members “feel school spirit, feel like a part of the community — both at school and in town. They are Hillers,” he said.

Wilander has been associated with the school club since the beginning approximately eight years ago. Participation waned during the pandemic, but the group is reviving and striving to identify its priorities.

“The club aims to spread awareness about the South Asian community. It’s a new beginning for us, and we’re looking to grow our membership,” said sophomore Arshia Tharakabhushanam, one of the officers.

She explained that Hopkinton has a large South Asian population, and considering that, the group wants to provide “better representation and bring a sense of fitting in and making [students] feel comfortable.”

Junior Sanvi Ayachitam, another officer, said, “Representation is important. We want to bring everyone together and meet new people. With freshmen, we hope to build bonds and create a sense of belonging for them.”

Wilander described the club as a “support network,” noting that the students meet in his classroom every other week to talk about the challenges of being a South Asian student as well as the pressures at home.

As an example, he talked about a student who wanted to go to film school, a desire at odds with the parents’ plan for a STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) career.

“The student did not know how to tell the parents and risk disappointing them while still wanting to pursue their dreams,” Wilander said. “The club is really students supporting students and understanding these challenges.”

Wilander, a ninth grade world history and AP history teacher, emphasized that the group is entirely student run, and he asks the members what they want to do rather than tell them.

So far, the students’ focus has been on fundraising and spreading awareness to other student groups like the Diversity Club and Muslim Student Association, he said.

Much of their time this fall involved partnering with the South Asian Circle of Hopkinton to plan the GlamJam Diwali Gala at the Hopkinton Center for the Arts on Nov. 16.

Not only did they help prepare “a sequence of dances,” according to the students, but they manned a booth to highlight the school club and its goals.

Going forward, the group will co-host a tournament with the Badminton Club and a large cricket event and aspires to raise funds for organizations in India, including those contributing to the education of girls, according to Tharakabhushanam.

The students also plan to volunteer service hours at events that resonate with their South Asian culture.

Other members of the club’s leadership team include seniors Aarushi Kamra, Armaan Kamra and Shrija Kumar.

Superintendent Carol Cavanaugh said affinity groups like this one are valued at the high school because they allow students to establish a community of “like peers, to share the lived experiences that are related to their identity, to develop a collective identity in the building and to foster understanding and respect across the many different identities of the kids at HHS.”

Added Cavanaugh: “Hopkinton’s students have the incredible opportunity to thrive in an educational setting where we respect and celebrate people of all races, cultures, religions and identities.”

Wilander said that students can be “an outstanding bridge or vehicle” to help improve everyone’s understanding of different cultures.

“It is a great opportunity beyond the classroom,” he said.

The advisor added that the students are doing “exactly what I think any parent wants their kids to do. … In a small way, make the world a better place.”