Junior Year (2022-23)

My junior year was full of excitement and exploration. First things first, I took classes in both the Fall and Spring semesters and even though they were probably the hardest semesters for me, I was able to maintain my GPA at a 4.0.

The fall started out with me still being an RA at UPA and finally undergoing training, which was tedious but fun. This semester I also served as the DEI chair for CEAS Ambassadors which was a first but it did give me an opportunity to imbibe diversity and inclusion into this amazing organization in my own way. Another new thing I really enjoyed was working with the UC Marketing Team. I got the opportunity to be in the advertisements and brochures for the university and it was an exposure to an entirely different world for me. One of my favorite organizations to be a part of, as I probably have mentioned many times before, is UC IPALs, International Partners and Leaders. I went to an overnight retreat to Camp Higher Grounds with about 200 other international students. I'd never done this before and it turned out to be one of my most cherished memories with the IPALs. Events like the Fall Ball, Garba, the Festival of Lights, Halloween, Diwali all added to the fall semester being really memorable. As an IPAL, I organized the Halloween Party for UC International where the Bearcat made things even more fun. One of the absolute best things I did this fall was taking a cruise to the Bahamas with my friends. It made for a core memory and simply cannot be forgotten. This was the first time I took a vacation with my friends and I plan on doing this a lot more in the coming years. Towards the end of Fall, I took on the role of the Marketing/Branding Lead for RevolutionUC, the biggest student-led hackathon at UC organized by ACM@UC. As the lead, I had to manage a team of about 10 students into publicizing the hackathon and ensuring that we have students from all across the board. I also joined the Adopt-a-Class experience with the Academy of World Languages. With this experience, I got to spend time with students from 2nd grade and do fun activities with them. I think it was one of the most wholesome things I'd ever done. Every time I'd step into that classroom full of kids with a whole lot of innocence, dreams and aspirations, I'd feel like a part of their journey, a part of their growth, even if it was little.

I went back home for the winter break. I have a really huge family and I love them to bits. This winter break was even more special because we had a family reunion in a week-long palooza where everyone came down to one place and we spent a lot of time together making memories.

The spring semester moved a lot faster. So many things happened all around that it got a little overwhelming, but in all the good ways. The first thing I had to focus on was RevolutionUC. And it turned out to be a great success. We managed a participation of about 300 students from all around the mid-west. The turn out was amazing and we saw the most retention throughout the 24-hours we had ever seen in years. I also became a part of the Student Leader Roundtable, a platform organized by UHP where student leaders from all parts of the campus come together and discuss their organizations and how to lead better. Every year, this organization called the South Asian American Student Association organizes this huge event called Mock Sangeet, which is a mock version of an pre-wedding ritual we have in India. This year, my best friend and I got to be the bride and bride for the event which again was really special and super super fun with all the dance performances. For the third year in a row, I won the Mantei/Mae Award for Academic Excellence. I, once again, got chosen as a National Co-op Ambassador. Beyond that, I also organized the UC International Prom at the Newport Aquarium with the IPALs. The prom took place for the first time after covid and was just as special and magical as we'd imagined it to be. I continued the Adopt-a-Class experience and made really special bonds with those kids. This semester I even got to make lesson plans and I learnt a whole lot from the whole experience. For spring break, I took a trip to Tennessee with my friends and explored the Smokey Mountains. At the end of spring, I got elected as the President of ACM-W, a society for women in computing and I am really looking forward to taking on this responsibility.

This summer, I am going back to Levi Strauss and Co. in San Francisco for my co-op. It's been another year of rapid growth and development and has made me realize a lot of things about graduating in less than a year. I really hope to make the best of my last year here at UC!