* By profession, mother is a chemist and father a sociology professor. Both are now retired.
* The Tiwari family immigrated to the U.S. in 1980 from North India.
* Attributes a lot of her nerdy interests to her brother, who is an avid gamer and medical doctor.
* Can snap with both hands.
* Won the science fair twice, for horticulture related projects.
* Started collecting comic books at age 7. First comic book: DC's Catwoman.
* Has two favorite colors, each liked equally.
* Is allergic to all beans, legumes, as well as some nuts and seeds.
* Does not drink coffee [and hasn't since 2000] but loves tea.
* Prefers books and movies that contain narration.
* Has had the same best friend since the 4th grade.
* Born and raised in the East Bay in Northern California.
* English was her second language, learned at age 5.
* Started working at age 11 at her family-owned sandwich shop.
* Has never been to Europe...or New York.
* Is fluent in Hindi, can understand in Punjabi, Gujarati, Marathi, Bengali, Spanish and some ASL.
* Favorite season: Winter. Loves snow and snowboarding.
* Wrote her college personal statement on how life is like a sandwich.
* Is a fan of medical and science literature.
* Loves everything about the 80s [especially music and films].
* Enchiladas, lasagnas, and saucy foods are her preference. Also: Indian pickled veggies [mangoes,lemons, etc.] and chaat.
* Likes the number 23 or 5 [if single digits].
* Enjoys situational comedies, like Curb your Enthusiasm and Arrested Development.
* Considers spirituality one of the most important things in life.
* Favorite sport: Basketball.
* Believes Michael Jordan is the greatest athlete of all time.
* Has a strong inclination to music; both parents are musicians.
* Is a foodie.
* Loves soundtracks.
* Is a germaphobe who collects instant hand sanitizer.
* Has an embarrassing YouTube video dating back to her childhood:


(Photo by Lan Bui)