In April, Hanshika Kohli graduated from ESCP’s Bachelor in Management (BSc) after three years of study across Europe. Her diploma is just one chapter in a much longer story, one that began in a place where education is often interrupted before it can take root. What follows is not just a celebration of success, but a reflection on what it means to keep moving when stability can’t be taken for granted ” and how one student quietly reshaped the spaces around her by staying true to her voice.
Kashmir: A Different Kind of Classroom
In the lush valleys of Srinagar, Kashmir, a place known both for its breathtaking beauty and its long history of political complexity, Hanshika learned early what it means to adapt, persist, and push forward against the odds. ”We’d often wake up to find everything suddenly shut down, sometimes for days, sometimes for months” she recalls. Internet blackouts, political curfews, and even natural disasters weren’t rare interruptions in her education. They were constants.
When she was 13, a devastating flood submerged her home and city under nearly 18 feet of water. Then, in 2019, just before her final year of high school, a major constitutional change in Kashmir triggered another wave of unrest. What followed was a complete communication blackout lasting over 500 days. There was no internet, no mobile network, no landlines, nothing. ”I had my ESCP admission interview during that time. I had to go to a government office, borrow Wi-Fi, and do the interview from their desktop computer” she remembers. ”The video call didn’t work well, so the interviewers had to talk to me on the phone while being on Skype.”
It was far from ideal. And yet, that day became the turning point. She received an admission offer and a scholarship to pursue the Bachelor in Management (BSc) at ESCP. It was the culmination of years of perseverance, and the beginning of something entirely new.
”Choosing to study abroad wasn’t just about getting a degree” she says. ”It was about stepping out of the familiar and believing there was more waiting for me.” In 2020, Hanshika boarded a plane to France, the first stop on her three-year, three-country journey with ESCP.
The First Metro Ride and the Leap Into the Unknown
There’s a photograph we don’t see, but we can imagine it: a young girl, alone in Paris, trying to find her way to the Eiffel Tower, and instead walking 10 kilometres because she couldn’t figure out the metro. ”I didn’t know how to buy a ticket” she laughs now, but the memory isn’t just funny, it’s foundational. ”Everything was new ” the people, the language, even the road signs. I had never been abroad before.”
What begins as a small story about getting lost quickly unfolds into something larger. Learning to navigate a new city became a metaphor for learning to navigate herself, and all the worlds she would soon inhabit. ”Fast forward three years, and I’m not only comfortable asking questions, but also much more at ease with figuring things out on my own” she says. Each challenge became part of a slow and steady transformation. Living and studying in Paris, Turin, and Berlin, Hanshika adapted and grew, gaining both academic strength and personal confidence.
At ESCP, that process of growth wasn’t confined to the classroom. Hanshika thrived academically ” staying on the Dean’s List all three years ” but equally important were the moments when she said yes to things that once scared her.
”Resilience” and ”driven” are buzzwords often thrown around in academic settings, but in Hanshika’s story, they’re made real. Not by declarations, but by long walks, curfews, learning, adapting, and showing up again and again.
Creating Culture: From Collective Project to Award-Winning Society
As Hanshika slowly found her footing abroad, something unexpected happened: she began stepping beyond the classroom. At first, she was hesitant to join extracurricular activities. ”I was shy. I liked the events, but didn’t feel bold enough to take part” she admits. That changed during her second semester in Paris, when a collective project with classmates sparked an idea: to create a platform that would celebrate the cultural diversity of the ESCP community through festivals and traditions.
”We noticed that despite all the cultures on campus, there wasn’t a space to celebrate them through their festivals” she says. With that insight, Hanshika and her team launched an event for Pongal, a South Indian harvest festival, right in the middle of the Paris campus. There was food, of course, but also music, games, storytelling, and meaningful reflection on its cultural significance.
The event struck a chord with the student body and faculty alike. The project soon expanded, and by the end of the semester, they had organised several similar celebrations. The initiative was awarded ”Best Collective Project of the Year” a recognition given annually to the most impactful student-led project across all ESCP Bachelor campuses.
The following year in Turin, Hanshika helped transform the idea into a permanent student society: BDE Festiv’All. ”I got to meet so many new people, learn event planning, and collaborate with local vendors” she says. ”Creating something from scratch ” and watching it grow ” was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had.”
There’s something about her story that resists easy framing. She wasn’t just shaped by the ESCP experience ” she actively shaped it. She brought in her history, her perspective, her curiosity, and created spaces where others could share theirs too. It’s not an overstatement to say that students like Hanshika don’t just benefit from programmes like the Bachelor in Management ” they help define what those programmes become.
Becoming a Student of the World
In between cultural events and personal growth, there were also lectures, group projects, case studies, and final exams. And for Hanshika, these academic moments were just as transformative.
”I’ve made plenty of mistakes, but I’ve learned from every one” she reflects. Coming from a different educational system, she had concerns about how she would adapt. But indeed, the Bachelor programme surprised her. ”It wasn’t always easy, but it was always open. The professors were supportive, the learning environment was inclusive, and I had room to ask questions and explore different interests.”
Her favourite subject? Finance. ”I came from a commerce background, so I had some foundation, but my Finance classes in Turin really deepened my interest. I ended up scoring in the 96th percentile.” She also developed a keen appreciation for Marketing, where hands-on projects and real-world challenges helped her discover new strengths. ”We created campaigns, worked in teams, and got a real sense of how things work in business.”
More than just a degree, the BSc gave her clarity. ”Before entering the School, I wasn’t sure where I was heading. Now, I know I’m interested in marketing, brand management, maybe even launching something of my own.” The structure of the programme, the international experience, and the exposure to different disciplines gave her the tools to dream bigger ” and to plan better.
Between the Now and the Not-Yet
Today, Hanshika is taking a well-earned pause. After graduating with the Class of 2024 in Berlin, she’s spending some time reconnecting with a creative passion ” cake design ” while working at a local bakery. But this isn’t a new interest. Back in 2018, she launched Sweet Meraki, a bespoke cake business she founded and managed entirely on her own. From design and production to supply management, packaging, and promotion, she handled every aspect: proof not only of entrepreneurial drive, but of precision, patience, and a rare blend of creativity and operational focus.
”I’m just breathing right now. Reflecting, feeling grateful, and thinking about what’s next.”
Whether she stays in Berlin or moves to another country, whether she leans into marketing, explores entrepreneurship, or charts an entirely new path, she’s not chasing ” she’s choosing. And that quiet confidence, that ability to move forward without the noise of doubt, may be the most meaningful outcome of all.
There’s a quiet power in that pause: the kind that doesn’t come from uncertainty, but from a place of calm awareness. At a time when many graduates feel pressure to rush from one role to the next, collecting experiences out of fear they might miss the window, Hanshika has chosen to take a breath. Not because she lacks options, but because she knows she has them.
”What ESCP has taught me is that I’m no longer afraid of what’s next” she says. ”I’ve realised that you do find your way in the end.”
A Word to Future Students
For those considering the Bachelor in Management (BSc), Hanshika offers a simple but powerful piece of advice: ”Say yes to things that scare you a little. That’s where the growth happens.”
This programme isn’t only about the lectures or the cities you’ll live in. ”It’s about who you become in the process. You’ll learn to navigate the unknown, to connect across cultures, and to stretch your limits ” sometimes in ways you didn’t see coming.”
And when you look back, she promises, it won’t be the diploma that defines the experience. It will be about the journey that made you strong enough to earn it. It will be about everything you have become along the way.
Don’t wait any longer; ESCP’s European campuses will help you broaden your horizon while maintaining internationally acclaimed academic standards. Discover more about the Bachelor in Management (BSc) today.
