When Student Association Treasurer Siddhant Chhabria came to UB from his native India, he was expecting a crazy experience like the one he saw in American Pie.
He soon realized college in America is completely different from what he imagined.
Throughout his college career, Chhabria has taken steps to transition from his wild perception to a matured approach. He has changed dramatically since coming to UB, according to his friends and family. He credits his growth to his parents' values and the relationships he has gathered through immersing himself in different environments on campus.
As his views of American college life have strayed completely from American Pie, he has developed as a person just as much.
"It's handling situations in a mature way and basically just growing up, thinking about life and what I want to do next - making more mature decisions because you don't have your parents over here to guide you," Chhabria said. "You have their financial support, but at the end of the day, you got to do what's right for you."
Chhabria was always the mischievous and stubborn child, according to his mother, Lakshana. Chhabria would pull pranks but get away with them due to his charming nature.
As a child in India, he played soccer barefoot on the concrete areas near his apartment complex. If he snuck out to play, his mother would sometimes chase after him with a glass of milk, making him finish it in front of his friends.
Coming to UB, he may have moved on from those juvenile tendencies. But he hasn't lost that charm and has instead fused it with his parents' wisdom to get ahead in SA.
"When there would be a school debate or karate competition or even an exam, he would always say - 'Mama, I will try to do my best,'" Lakshana said in an email. "To which I would reply, 'Don't say try, my son, say that you can do it and you will.'"
A couple months ago, Chhabria's grandmother passed away. She gave him the motivation to pursue law and he wants to make a name for himself in her honor.
"If I was 17, I would've thrown a tantrum to actually go back to India, but I didn't this time," Chhabria said about his grandmother's passing. "It was the start of school, and I thought to myself, 'Is this the right time to go back to India?' ... By the time I get back, everything will be done. Do I want to sadden myself with that or focus on my career and what my nanny wanted me to do?"
It was never Chhabria's intention to attend college in another country, but it was an option he was grateful to have because of his parents - and his adventurous spirit led him to accepting the opportunity.
It didn't sink in that he was leaving everything he knew in Mumbai until he was sitting in the car on the way to the airport with just three bags of luggage.
Chhabria recalls the beginning of his journey at UB as less than enjoyable.
He did not have a place to stay for the first three weeks before school officially began. He met several UB Indian graduate students on the plane and found a temporary home with them. He had to share a bed with one of his hosts.
Once he moved into his dorm, however, his experience improved.
Being an international student, Chhabria had some initial trouble adjusting. But he knew he had to take advantage of UB's opportunities. He did not want to engage in the same activities he could have done back in India.
This led him to join the professional business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi (DSP) and get involved in SA.
Elizabeth Quinn, a senior marketing major and fellow DSP member, has witnessed Chhabria's growth since freshman year as part of the same pledge class.
"When we were pledging, he just seemed so much younger than he is now," Quinn said. "He really grew into being a leader and I think he realized what his niche is and that's helping people."
Babu Dinesababu, an older DSP brother and an SA bookkeeper, offer Chhabria a chance to do the same job.
After being a bookkeeper for two years andtreasurer of the Indian Student Association (ISA), Chhabria believed he had enough credentials to run for SA treasurer in 2013.
Chhabria said he quit his position as bookkeeper the first year he held the position because the staff running SA at the time was not professional - a reference to the $300,000 scandal in which former Treasurer Sikander Khan and former Vice President Meghan McMonagale signed a contract with a fraudulent company.
The following year, he decided to give it another try. Chhabria said he got laid off after what he believes was due to "political drama."
"There were ups and downs," Chhabria said. "What I got out from it was how to handle myself and how to react to situations instead of whining and stopping. It didn't stop me from running; it gave me more confidence to prove myself."
Chhabria joined ISA and eventually gained a position as its treasurer. The club helped Chhabria campaign for SA treasurer, he said.
Chhabria is interested in investment banking, hopes to go to law school and is looking to stay in America.
Karin Hsieh, a junior biomedical sciences major and Chhabria's girlfriend, said the last time Chhabria went back to India, his friends exclaimed, "Whoa, is that Sid Chhabria?" She said his friends kept telling him how much he matured.
"He's done a really good job of adapting and living the American college dream," Hsieh said. "He's met so many people and had so many experiences that a lot of international students don't get ... He really branched out and tried to get everything out of this experience."
Chhabria believes in expanding his capabilities. He recalls some advice his mother once gave him, which related to him helping his father's textile company in India. She said that his father's knowledge was a bucket filled three quarters with water. If Chhabria were to join him, he would overflow the bucket and his knowledge would go to waste - so why not start a new bucket?
At UB, Chhabria has embraced her philosophy to the fullest. He said he owes his experiences all to the university.
"I never got emotional or got attached to any school I was with, but I will probably tear up when I leave UB," Chhabria said.
Though his initial perception of college was different from what he has experienced, he hopes his future children can one day attend UB as well.
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