He was only here for a short while but Sunil Benimadhu crammed so much into those two years in C-U, he could write a book about them.
E-mailing from east Africa, the CEO of Stock Exchange of Mauritius takes it from the top:
“On arrival for the orientation week, I was pretty impressed by the quality of the facilities and resources available to me to pursue the MBA program. This feeling was further emphasized when I met Jane Nathan, coordinator of the MBA program.
“I lived during my first year in Daniels Hall on West Green Street, which was a confluence of brilliant minds from different countries, including Iran, Austria, Colombia, Syria, South Africa, Pakistan and so many other places.
“Coming from a warm island state — Mauritius — I needed to muster all my internal strength to cope with the harrowing impact of the Illinois winter. I recall the great conversations we had at Espresso Royale coffee shop, a hangout of many graduate friends where, fueled by the revolutionary ideals of young graduate students, we frequently engaged in discussions on how to change the world and make it a better place.
“It’s also where we celebrated on February 11th, 1990, the momentous release of Nelson Mandela from Robben Island prison.
"I also vividly recall the live concert of Whitney Houston at the Assembly Hall and other sports events I attended at this landmark building.
“I returned to the U of I in September 2016 for a quick visit with my wife, Karuna, and son, Yashnil, as I wanted to introduce them to an institution that has profoundly influenced the shaping of my personal and professional career.
"I was very pleased to reconnect with two professors, George Pennacchi and Louis Chan, two gentlemen whose courses have been instrumental to my career orientation.”
