You’re not pronouncing my name right. And that’s okay.

My name is Akshaya Natarajan. Before it was ever Akshaya, it was அக்ஷயா (or &lrm;அக்சயா, if you happen to be Muthuvel Karunanidhi), written in a language that was spoken over a thousand years before the inception of English. Like the holy Akshayapatra in the Mahabharata, a vessel with a neverending supply of food gifted to Draupadi and the Pandavas, my name has proved to be everlasting across the vast history of India through its many rich languages. “Awk-SHY-yah,” however, is relatively new. If you aren’t a family member, or otherwise someone that’s familiar with an Indian language, there’s a good chance you’re pronouncing my name wrong. And that’s totally fine — I mean, I was the one that told you to do that. <a href="https://mystudentvoices.com/youre-not-pronouncing-my-name-right-and-that-s-okay-16d351c1c439">Click Here</a>