“Karan was a sweet, attentive and passionate soul and I had the privilege of working with him as his supervisor while he interned for Free Arts. Out of all the students I interviewed for an internship position, Karan stood out for his level of hard work and passion that he brought into all of his projects. During the interview Karan and I talked about his work for the Daily Trojan, the USC newspaper, and how he wanted to build transparency for his readers in the paper and build bridges for people balancing mental wellness in their lives. It was apparent how much he cared about his community, friends, and readers, and his attention to the needs of others continued through his work at Free Arts.

I know Karan was so much more than I got to experience during his internship but his intelligence, sweetness, and friendliness will live on in our memory. Free Arts is saddened that such a bright soul has left us but we know that his memory and presence will live on in all of us. If you knew Karan in any way we hope that you too keep his memory in the same positive light that we. Free Arts believes in creating access to therapeutic art programming for students and we hope to keep Karan’s memory by continuing to help others. Thank you.”

“Karan and I were colleagues for a year; technically, he was the intern, but despite being half my age, he seemed like a peer from the beginning. Every day, Karan brought a curiosity, enthusiasm and commitment that led a lot of us to joke that we better be nice to Karan, because we’d all be working for him someday. I believed it, and find it hard to accept that it won’t come to pass. Karan’s battle with depression took a shining light away from many people. I suspect he would be happy to know that On My Mind exists to support others who are going through the same thing.“

“Karan and I frequently talked about listening. How deep listening truly transcends. Listening that weaves in and out of dimensions. Karan was a Master Deep Listener. Every pore, each precious cell, was designed to take everything in, to understand it all, to feel the joy and the overwhelm, and of course to write beautifully about it all.

He introduced me to one of his favorite podcasts - Everything is Alive. I fell in love with it. We listened to it together with his godparents, an after dinner ritual in the dim light of the living room, the wireless speaker beaming it out like a warm fire. All of us deep listening.

It's a magical, philosophical show that captures the lives (in intimate interviews) of everyday objects. Everything is alive. Nicholas Quah in his review of the show wrote, "What does it mean to be a thing, when that thing's entire purpose is to be used? Somewhere between deeply depressing and surprisingly enviable, that's what."

This description could apply to the frustration of mental illness. Karan had hope for fulfilling his usefulness, his purpose. But bearing witness to the world around him was not always easy to shoulder.

Karan's bright light shines on. His legacy will thrive through the work of this foundation and through the determination and love of his beloveds.”

“Karan and I became close in our senior year of high school, when I was dealing with what I only now recognize as my first depressive episode. Karan’s caring heart and goofy nature helped me immensely in those difficult and lonely times. He is in my best memories of that year — laughing together as I taught him how to tie his necktie, watching in delight and confusion as he performed “No Scrubs,” and listening to him expound the true magic of friendship and love. We obsessed about dogs, played pranks on our teachers, and shared countless inside jokes.

He brought me joy when I felt my lowest, and I can only describe his appearance in my life as something truly magical. When we reconnected just before his 21st birthday, he told me that he wanted to study psychology to give back the help that he’d received, and I was yet again struck by his passion for making the world a better place. For the last year I’ve been struggling against my worst depressive episode yet, and throughout this time I’ve often looked to Karan’s articles. His words on mental health are so sincere, insightful, and have more than once helped me get through a difficult evening. His writing encouraged me to reach out to professionals, seek medication, and build up my support system. And I know I’m not the only one; Karan was an extremely talented writer, but more than that, he was someone who wrote to change the world.

Not a day has passed that I haven’t thought of Karan, felt his presence in my life, and missed him dearly. Life without Karan will never be the same, but I know he would have wanted the people he left behind to be happy and remember him with a smile. That’s why I am positive that he would’ve been so proud of the continuation of his legacy through On My Mind. The work the foundation is doing to advocate for mental health awareness and help students find support is desperately needed, and it is exactly what Karan would have wanted. Sirius Black said, “the ones who love us never really leave us.” And as painful Karan’s absence is, I am comforted knowing that he’ll always live on in our memories, in his writing, and through”