Photos: Sudeeksha’s Secret Garden Comes to Life

Lucas Machado ’21 cuts the ribbon to open Sudeeksha's Secret Garden
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After years of brainstorming, planning, organizing, fundraising, approvals, and construction, Christine Coyne ’21, Lucas Machado ’21, and Maya Mutalik ’21 finally saw their vision for a community garden come to life Friday in front of about four dozen students, faculty, staff, and alumni.

“Actually seeing people use it, it feels good. It feels like we succeeded,” Mutalik said. “And, it feels like it’s going to last, too. A priority for us was designing it in a way that it would be here for many years to come.”

The three Natalie Taylor Scholars reconceptualized and overhauled the previous campus garden space located between Hollister Hall and the Reynolds Campus Center. Coyne and Mutalik had the original vision, and Machado helped realize it through his company, Curbs Studio. The garden will be cared for by the Stewards of the Garden, a new student organization.

In a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday, the new community garden was formally dedicated in memory of Sudeeksha Bhati ’22 (2000–2020), a Global Scholar and student leader who passed away in 2020.

“She was such a socially driven person,” Mutalik said. “She wanted to make an impact on Babson and on her community. It felt right to dedicate it to her and name it Sudeeksha’s Secret Garden.”

Check out more photos from the dedication ceremony.

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