Senior Thanvi Dola passed away on Oct. 1, per an Oct. 2 email from Dean of Students G.L. Black. Members of the Vanderbilt community expressed that Dola was a hardworking and accomplished student and researcher, remembering her empathy and compassion for others.
Dola was a student in Peabody College studying human and organizational development on the pre-med track. She had a goal of becoming a cardiothoracic surgeon.
Dola was heavily involved in the Vanderbilt community, serving as editor-in-chief of The Vanderbilt Review literary journal for the 2021-22 academic year and managing editor for the current academic year. Under her leadership, the Review was named a finalist for Literary Magazine of the Year. Dola was also a former staff writer for The Hustler.
She was also a member of VINES and was a two-time winner of the 1000 pitch competition held through the Wond’ry. Dola performed extensive research with VUMC, publishing two manuscripts on the salt sensitivity of blood pressure and its implications for cardiovascular disease.
Dola was also a member of the South Asian Cultural Exchange on campus. Krish Shah, senior and president of SACE, offered condolences to Dola’s family.
“Speaking on behalf of all of SACE board, our thoughts and prayers are with Thanvi’s family and those who were fortunate to know and love her,” Shah said in a message to SACE members. “Our deepest sympathies go out to Thanvi’s family, friends, and loved ones.”
Lily Zheng, senior and editor-in-chief of The Vanderbilt Review, reflected on Dola’s leadership and work ethic during her time with the Review.
“Spring of last year, one of our advisors reached out to us saying that there were issues with the color format of the [draft] we sent to him and we needed to get back with the right file asap,” Zheng said in a message to The Hustler. “I was at a basketball game, our layout editor was in Europe, and Thanvi was at work in NYC. All of us started panicking in our individual spaces. We spent 30 stressed minutes sending texts and emails back and forth and finally pulled everything together in the end. Through that whole time, I remember how Thanvi kept us all together.”
Zheng hopes Dola will be remembered by her leadership and encouraging personality.
“She always knew how to control a room and have fun and be serious at the same time,” Zheng said. “She changed the Review fundamentally, and we hope to maintain her legacy for years to come.”
Dola’s sister, Tvisha Dola, described her as the “most thoughtful person.”
“She spent so much time searching for the perfect birthday presents for the people she loved, and they were always things that you would never have found yourself but she just knew it would be what you wanted because she actually listened and remembered the tiniest details,” Tvisha Dola said in a message to The Hustler.
Tvisha Dola also described the joy that movies and concerts brought to her sister.
“She loved concerts and movies, and she frequently went to both because that’s where she was the happiest,” Tvisha Dola said. “I think it was fate that she was in Nashville where she could listen to live music whenever.”
Tvisha Dola remembered how her sister loved to travel, making lasting memories across her adventures.
“She was also just really cool,” Tvisha Dola said. “She’s been skydiving and bungee jumping and cliff diving. She’s watched the sunrise over the Sahara Desert on a camel and been sand surfing in Qatar. She snorkeled off the back wall of the Molokini Crater in Hawaii and swam with dolphins. She lived a lot in her 21 years.”
In his email, Black detailed resources for students processing grief, such as the UCC, Crisis Text Line, Vanderbilt Telehealth by AcademicLiveCare, Student Care Coordination, Center for Spiritual and Religious Life and Center for Student Wellbeing.
