Usha Gulati

“The staff and residents are so engaged. It’s like having a built-in family.”

Usha Gulati came to the U.S. from New Delhi in 1965 and went on to earn two Master’s degrees in education and library science. Though she enjoyed her work in education, she continued to follow her childhood love of fashion and jewelry design and eventually opened a boutique that turned that hobby into a career.

Usha no longer owns the boutique, but she still designs her own dresses, tunics, and Indian outfits. At The Forest’s recent celebration of the Diwali Festival of Lights, several of her designs were showcased. Usha hosted the Indian New Year event through her role as chairwoman of the Outreach Committee for The Forest’s Diversity & Inclusion Collaborative.

Usha loves the welcoming atmosphere at The Forest and contributes to that atmosphere by helping to create diverse cultural experiences. “The beautiful thing about this place,” she says, “is that there is so much to do, but you also have a wonderful apartment where you can be by yourself. You have a lot of freedom.”