Keerti Daesety

CESL Program: Big Brothers Big Sisters

Major: Biochemistry

Keerti Daesety ‘26 (she/her) is an Honors biochemistry student from Andover, Massachusetts. Throughout high school, Keerti was interested in Big Brothers Big Sisters but did not have the opportunity to join until she heard about CESL’s class during her sophomore year. As the youngest sibling in her family who has always wanted a younger sister, Keerti knew she had to join as soon as she found out about the program. She also saw it as a perfect way to combine her passions for working with youth and serving her community.  

During the summer before her junior year, Keerti was matched with her “little sister,” who she has formed a close relationship with since. Together, her and her sister have done many different activities, but Keerti says her favorites have been going to Six Flags during Halloween, biking, ice skating, and making gingerbread houses over the holidays. The two of them have also gone to multiple events put on by Big Brothers Big Sisters, enjoyed ice cream at Atkins Farms, and hiked Mount Sugarloaf. Keerti and her Little share a love of arts and crafts and have made friendship bracelets and Lego creations as reminders of their time together. 

Outside of spending time with her little, Keerti sees SRVCLRNG 292MH: Mentoring with Big Brothers Big Sisters as one of her favorite classes she’s taken throughout college because of its unique discussion-based nature. In reflecting on her experience, Keerti says, “As a biochem major, I’ve spent lots of my undergrad career in lecture-based classes where you’re interacting with your classmates to solve problem sets. In this class, we were having really critical discussions that I felt were super relevant to my experiences with my little every single week. Every time we had a conversation in class, I could pull from that experience when I was talking to my little sister.” As Big Brothers Big Sisters mentors, students sometimes encounter complex family dynamics or other challenges while building relationships with their Littles. Keerti appreciated the opportunity to reflect on these experiences in class with other students who shared similar perspectives.

Reflecting on the dynamic within the classroom, Keerti enjoyed the chance to get to know every single person in the class and participate in weekly check-ins. “We had individual time with our professor, where it felt like she truly cared about our experiences with our little,” says Keerti about her relationship with course instructor, Evelin Aquino. One of the things Keerti valued most about the course was the collaborative classroom environment. She shared that students were consistently engaged in discussions and genuinely enjoyed spending time learning and reflecting together.

After graduating in May 2026, Keerti hopes to stay in touch with her little and has plans to work in clinical research at the Mass General Brigham Cancer Institute before going to medical school. As a final reflection on her experience in the program, Keerti shared, “I learned how important it is to understand and connect with people from diverse backgrounds. It’s a lesson that I’ll carry with me as I continue to grow personally and professionally, and one that I know will make me a more compassionate physician in the future.”