I’m a sophomore at Duke University studying Mechanical Engineering and Visual Arts, excited to build things at the intersection of technology, humans, and creativity. I also love meeting new people and making lasting connections!

Hometown

Mumbai, India

Major(s)

Mechanical Engineering

Minor(s)

Economics, Visual Arts

Clubs, organizations & involvement

1)Women in Entrepreneurship - Executive Board - VP of Programs 2)Duke eNable - Club developing prosthetic arms 3)Theta Tau Engineering Fraternity 4)Computational Nanotechnology Researcher - Researching DNA origami under Prof Gaurav Arya 5)Duke-DKU Lab, Bass Connections - Cross-institutional research project exploring experimental telepresence and immersive media installations 6)Teaching Assistant - MATH 111, 122 for Sophomore Year 7)Duke Motorsports - Building race cars 8)SWE - Society of Women Engineers 9)FEMMES+ - Community service for STEM oriented middle school kids in Durham 10)Penny Pilgrim George Women’s Leadership Initiative Fellow

Describe your college experience

As an International student, adjusting to a whole new life was definitely hard. Amongst new people, a new country and unfamiliar ways of learning and living - everyone would feel lost. However, despite these challenges I really grew to love being a student at Duke. From attending classes and making fun projects with people from all over the world sparked my interest in engineering more than ever. Surrounding myself with smart, fun and enthusiastic people while rushing for clubs, or going to the dining hall with them or even parties and events helped me go out of my comfort zone and try everything I wouldn't normally try. Even though I felt a little homesick at times, missing my family and friends back home - I tried to make Duke my new home and I'm glad to say I succeeded. Now, I miss my dorm room where my roommate and I used to bond over the newest restaurant we tried, I miss my professors who taught me new ways to approach problems, the beautiful campus that I used to talk at least a 20k steps across everyday and my friends who made everyday a unique experience.

Tip for future students

Don't be afraid to feel lost, because everyone else is figuring it out too. When you arrive, step out of your comfort zone early - say yes to trying new restaurants, rush a club that catches your eye or interests you, and talk to people from different backgrounds. It’s completely normal to feel homesick at first, but if you lean into the community and embrace the initial discomfort, you'll quickly find that this campus becomes your second home - you will love it! There's something for everyone here.

Favorite class

EGR 121L - A DIY Design and Innovation Engineering class where we had 5 back to back group projects to build something with given constraints and a problem statement. For example a happy meal McDonalds toy that had to be completely 3d printed and had size constraints while also needing to be injection mouldable and educational. For every project we are randomly assigned a new group so that we meet new people. This was the best class so far because I learnt how to collaborate effectively with people with different skills and experience levels and how to solve problems or roadblocks together while having fun creating & building.

Career goals

Something that combines technology, people, user experience and design. Looking towards product management roles, engineering consulting, product design.

Ideal way to spend a free night

Catch up with friends that I haven't seen in a while, explore parts of the campus that are 'duke traditions' like the underground tunnels or the under construction Lily Library, grab a late night meal from Gothic Grill with friends and watch a movie in our dorms or the common room. Play a board game.

High school or secondary school

Dhirubhai Ambani International School - Mumbai, India