Meet Sixth Former and Signet Society member Milan Varma, Senior President of Food4Philly, editor of Newton’s Notebook, and someone you’ll see walking with a big smile around the school or talking to others calmly throughout the day.
For some people, Varma seems to have “been there from the start,” but the truth is that his story, filled with accomplishments, kicked off from something much smaller. His story proves that every interaction can spark great change.
For some background, Food4Philly is a nonprofit organization co-founded by Haverford alumnus Ethan Chan ’23, with many chapters around the nation, originating in Philadelphia itself.
“The work we do is fighting food insecurity, but our unique take on it is that we do [it] through student initiative and civic engagement,” Varma explained. “I didn’t really have a passion for service until I started working with Food4Philly. I started working with Food4Philly in 2023. It’s been two years now that I’ve been leading the organization.”
The real story of Varma’s growth, however, comes from one important reaction.
“I was approached by a friend who was two years older than me and a very good mentor of mine, Ethan Chan. Ethan asked me if I had any experience with service. Chan and Varma had played ping pong together in the past, showing the history of their bond, even before Food4Philly.
“He asked if I wanted to get involved, and I, of course, being a sophomore, said, I’d love to, right? I had nothing much going on that summer,” Varma said.
Just taking one opportunity can mean a lot. As Varma delved in, he took on a job, one that stuck with him.
“I took on the role of working on the media part of Food4Philly—making newsletters, designing Canva posts, things like that. I actually made it a very good skill of mine, the media aspect of it. But as we worked, we kind of decided that I was ready to take on an executive role,” Varma said.
At the time, Varma recalls that the group was much more underdeveloped than presently. Now, the organization includes eighteen national chapters and over $60,000 in funding and donations. But it’s not just the statistics that matter. It’s how unexpected relationships can mature.
One of the biggest insights, Varma feels, “is that the relationships you build with people, even when you don’t think they’ll amount to anything, matter a lot. Playing ping pong with Ethan, who kept beating me, actually mattered a lot for my presidency of this organization. So, it aligns very well with my personal values of creating long-lasting relationships. I read a quote once that said, ‘build 50-year relationships.’ That gives a different perspective, right? You’re not just assuming it’ll end after college.”
One of Varma’s other passions is reading. When asked about his top book and its influence on his perspective, Varma selected Inter Mastery, Outer Impact by Hitendra Wadhwa.
“The book focuses on basically how intertwined your thoughts are with reality, and how, when you master your inner self, you have an effect on your outer actions,” Varma said. “I used to believe a lot of the thoughts I had were kind of a side aspect—that what mattered more was what I did. But it actually matters a lot more what you’re thinking. That builds a mindset that enables your actions,” he said.
Upon inquiry, Varma listed East of Eden, Atomic Habits, and Range as top books to read, the last of which talks about why one should be educated broadly, not in a speciality.
Varma also took a service trip to rural India in his Fourth Form year, an experience that changed his perspective significantly.
“I met a bunch of kids there who were about my age, who were completely different from me. They looked a little older than they were; they had very, very different lifestyles. But the more I thought about it and journaled, I realized that with a few steps, that could’ve easily been me. If my grandfather hadn’t sold his car for plane tickets and moved, or anything had changed, that could have been me sitting in that village. We’re not different than [others] in the grand scheme of things.”
“The more you journal, the more you recognize patterns about yourself—you can actually come to an understanding that in the moment, what I’m doing right now will lead to an outcome based on who I am and my habits in general.”
Milan Varma ’25
For Varma, journaling was something that his father had kicked off for him.
“It’s a really good way to reflect,” Varma said. “I gave my Reflection on this, but the more you journal, the more you recognize patterns about yourself—you can actually come to an understanding that in the moment, what I’m doing right now will lead to an outcome based on who I am and my habits in general. It’s kind of like a superpower—it slows down time for you. You realize ‘if I continue on this path, this is what the outcome will be.’”
From the rising Third Formers to the graduating sixth Formers, there’s something to take away from this. While it is important to “reach out,” Varma also emphasizes the importance of being isolated at times.
“You learn a lot by starting your Haverford years very strong. Comfort is good, but having a strong start matters a lot for your educational journey. It’s much harder to think about that when the college process rolls in around junior year rather than in your underclassmen years. Then, as a senior, one of the best things for me has been travel.”
At Haverford, Varma is now very involved. His growth came from reflection, involvement, and relationships. In Varma’s eyes, to see the world around you in your own unique perspective and be constantly aware of who you are, as well as to manage your relationships with yourself and the world, is paramount.