Ms. Eshara Mondal (Broadening Narratives)

Description

Eshara Mondal, 32, is a queer woman and cloud engineering manager for a education nonprofit. Born in Adena, Minnesota, and raised in Palatine, Illinois, she grew up balancing her Bengali heritage with American life. She participated in the Bengali Association of Greater Chicago (BAGC) and studied Indian classical dance for a decade. Eshara attended University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she shifted from chemistry to neurobiology and explored education policy. After college, Eshara traveled extensively, discovering her identity as a gay woman and meeting her now-wife, Rose, in New Zealand. They married in the UK in 2021 and had a traditional Hindu wedding in Milwaukee in 2023. She discusses coming out to her family, her father’s unwavering support, and her mother’s eventual acceptance. Eshara reflects on her father’s lasting influence and emphasizes her belief that happiness can be found in many ways of living.