For Aadish, math has always been just as much about belonging, joy and growth as it’s been about numbers. He still remembers the tiny triumph of scoring his first-ever point on a Team Selection Test. That spirit carries into his teaching, where what began as awkward has become deeply fulfilling. He is eager to explore topology and general relativity at Imperial, and shares the group he wants to join and the particular challenge it takes on. Aadish also finds time for strategy games and Dungeons & Dragons, showing that his curiosity thrives as much in play as it does in mathematics.

We caught up before he started university (interview edited for length and clarity):