Hometown: Bangalore, India
Tell us a bit about yourself. What is your background and what brought you to NYU Tandon?
I did my master’s studies in Biotechnology, then worked for a company called Promity Technologies for almost two years. While I was working there in an entry-level position, I would see people who either had years of experience or an extra degree. I wanted to get there. I had to weigh what to do then; either I wait for X number of years to reach their level, or I get an extra degree and learn more.
For me, back then, family money was an issue. I wanted to get into management, but it’s more expensive. It happened that my husband was in the U.S., so . . . I thought this would be a perfect opportunity for me to learn and educate myself. I took the GRE and the TOEFL, and I applied to northeast colleges. Then I got an acceptance from NYU. That was amazing because it was exactly what I wanted.
What did you want to be when you were younger? Did you ever think you’d wind up here?
When I was a kid my mom worked. I always wanted to be like her. She was a manager at an educational company. I searched what courses could help me become like her. My major, Management of Technology, was the perfect mixture of both technical and management skills.
You had not been to the States before coming to Tandon. Can you talk a bit about what your life in NYC has been like so far?
I grew up watching Gossip Girl, so it’s always been, “Oh, New York!” [laughs] NYC is such a huge city, and it has such a big, diverse community. It’s welcoming, and there are people from all over the world. You travel from one subway station to another and you see people from ten different countries.
What kind of hobbies are you involved in?
I’m in the TMI club. It’s more of a consulting club where you meet every week and work on cases, case interviews, and have casing jam sessions. My husband and I are on the adventurous side, so we bike a lot and do kayaking.
You are a recipient of the Winsche Scholarship. How has the scholarship impacted you, and do you have any words to share with donor Martha Winsche?
Getting the scholarship was such a boost because you’re paying everything out of pocket and there’s a huge difference in the currency. Every penny counts.
Thank you, Martha, for the scholarship. It has helped us a lot. Being an international student, it’s been a huge gift for us to have this experience and this education. As you go up the ladder, you get more opportunities to help other women come up, too. That’s something I want to keep in mind no matter where I go.