Anjali is the Chief Compliance Officer at Southcoast Health and has been a part of the Southcoast Health team for 2.5 years.

Raised in Kolkata (originally Calcutta), India, Anjali’s father owned a business and she and her three siblings grew up in a comfortable home.  As a female, it was expected that Anjali would complete college and immediately marry a man that her parents had selected for her.  “I knew that I wanted more than that, and I chose to come to the United States to complete my undergraduate degree,” Anjali says. “I always imagined that I would return to India, but I was drawn to the American culture of freedom and the American dream.” 

Finding employment in the United States using her accounting degree, Anjali’s temporary stay became permanent. Over the years, she completed a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and went on to become a Certified Public Account. Anjali and her husband have been married for 19 years and have a 17-year-old son who will leave the nest in August!

When Anjali considers the many traditions with which she was raised, her favorite Indian festival is Holi. On Holi, her family would get together with friends and neighbors. Anjali and the other kids would spray colored powder solutions at each other, laughing and celebrating. Even the adults participated in the fun by smearing dry colored powder on each other’s faces. Anjali remembers the Holi Indian festival as ‘messy but fun!’

When considering some of the significance of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Anjali referenced the immigrant experience. While her own immigrant experience has been mostly positive, she recognizes that some other Indian immigrants have struggled. Navigating the numerous cultural differences is one of the real challenges. Mindful of this experience, when Anjali encounters new Indian immigrants, which she often does, she tries to reach out and welcome them. She shares personal stories to help them in their acclimation process.

Thank you, Anjali, for sharing your story to help us celebrate you and other Asian American and Pacific Islanders Southcoast Health colleagues during the month of May.

For more Southcoast Health staff stories, please visit at Staff Profiles Archives | Southcoast Health.