Chatterjee Looking To Make A Name For Herself At Goucher
If you Google Amita Chatterjee, you will find two people with that name. One is a philosopher of science and logician and is professor emerita at the School of Cognitive Science of Jadavpur University in Kolkata, India. Another Amita Chatterjee is a junior field hockey player at Goucher College. There is no relation between the two, but both share a connection. The father of field hockey, Amita, is from Kolkata, India.
"Regardless of what they do, it's weird to think there is anyone with the same name as me because I've never met anyone with my name," said the junior Chatterjee. "It is cool that the famous Amita Chatterjee is thriving and doing all kinds of awesome things! The name Amita means immeasurable and boundless, and that's something I keep with me in the back of my mind-- us Amita's can do anything!
Chatterjee and her field hockey teammates have been busy and have been up to immeasurable and boundless success. Last summer, Chatterjee helped organize a fundraiser for the Greater Baltimore Black Chamber of Commerce by making fliers for the field hockey Instagram page to promote the cause.
"During the height of the Black Lives Matter protests this summer, as a team, we decided we wanted to use our platform to raise money for an organization focused on advancing equity in the Baltimore area. We decided on the Greater Baltimore Black Chamber of Commerce because we wanted to help support Black-owned businesses and give back to our community in Baltimore," said Chatterjee. "I think it is important that people with a disposable income redistribute their funds to advance equity and use their privilege for good. It was amazing to see so many of our schoolmates, families, alumni, and fans get on board with this effort."
In the fall of 2020, Wesley College field hockey started a 100-Mile Challenge for Alexis Howerin after discovering she had breast cancer. Chatterjee joined head coach Stacey Eversley and four teammates to run 700.5 miles during Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
"I participated in the 100-Mile Challenge this past October to show support for Lex Howerin and increase breast cancer awareness," said Chatterjee. "A lot of young people assume that they're not at risk, but we need to know the importance of conducting self-exams and being able to identify the signs of breast cancer. I knew what breast cancer was but didn't realize young people are at risk. Hearing Lex's story, and participating in the 100-Mile Challenge, helped me educate myself and hopefully spread that message to others."
Chatterjee appeared in 17 matches, including 13 starts with one goal and two assists for four points on seven shots in her freshman campaign. She notched her first assist in a game against Drew and then had her first career goal and an assist against Hood. She doesn't point to either one of those games as her favorite athletic moment, but a 3-2 win against Virginia Wesleyan because she thinks that everyone played their best in the match with a great atmosphere and crowd that motivated the team. She believes the team is a special group, but also unique at the same time.
"The field hockey team is special because we all gel together and are accepting of one another," said Chatterjee. "We have the perfect balance of having fun while also working hard and wanting to win. I feel like our team has a different vibe than every other field hockey team. We are weird and funny, and there's no pressure to fit into the mold of what the typical field hockey team or players are like."
Chatterjee picked Goucher because the campus is close to home and the access to cities like Baltimore and Washington, D.C.
"I chose Goucher because it ticked all the boxes on my college list-- it's not too far from home, has a beautiful campus, is small, and has a great field hockey program!," said Chatterjee "I loved that the campus was in a more urban area with access to public transport and major cities but still feels isolated and is filled with nature."
Chatterjee grew up about an hour away from Goucher College in Silver Springs, Md., and is a first-generation American. Her father, Sunil, is from India and her mother, Gillian Hay, is from England. Sunil and his family came to the United States in the 1980s, but Chatterjee still has relatives in India.
"I've grown up as a first-generation American but have always had an understanding and appreciation for my family's roots in India and England on my mom's side," said Chatterjee. "Before CoVID, we would have a huge Thanksgiving gathering and we'd eat the traditional American food but also tandoori chicken, vegetable curry, and other Indian foods."
There are plenty of misconceptions about her father's heritage that people in the United States are unaware of or believe because of stereotypes.
"One of the biggest misconceptions Americans have is that people in India speak 'Indian,' and it's something that I've heard many times," said Chatterjee. "India is a very diverse country with hundreds of different languages, some of the most common being Hindi, Bengali, Punjabi, Urdu, and Gujarati. I also think Americans tend to water down Indian culture to just being about yoga and "boho" clothes. Again, there's so much cultural diversity in South Asia as a whole, it's hard to grasp unless you go there or are from there!"
Amita is a Hindi name given to her by her parents that connects her to her family heritage, and Chaterjee is proud of not only her name but her family.
You never know what you might find by a Google search. The Goucher Amita Chatterjee is immeasurable and boundless with a rich heritage, and she is making a name for herself in Baltimore.