#StudentSuccess: Meet EducationUSA advisee Lohita Rajesh, master’s student at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), majoring in Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Lohita is pursuing Environmental Engineering, Sustainability and Science with a focus on water treatment. Switching from her undergraduate major of Instrumentation and Control Engineering, her one year of research experience at the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, in the area of Water Supply Network Monitoring & Chlorine Analysis along with Froth Removal in Waste Water Systems, helped her transition to the graduate program at CMU. Lohita’s interests lie in the areas of Fate & Contaminant Transport, Sustainable Engineering Principles and Biological Wastewater Treatment and she is looking forward to future research opportunities in these areas.
She says, “the application oriented learning and research based education system in the US, is a great platform for students looking to expand their knowledge and gain global experience. My EducationUSA Advisor in Chennai, Aparna Chandrashekaran played a pivotal role in providing me with guidance. Her insights helped me navigate the process of applying to graduate school right until my pre-departure to the US. She is my mentor and guides me till date and I am thankful for her valuable inputs and guidance.”
Rahul Dass is currently a Ph.D. student in Computer Science at the University of Miami, Ohio. His dream for pursuing higher study in the U.S. started in early-2014 by becoming a member of EducationUSA Kolkata center. By intensely using and exploiting all the resources that he could find at EdUSA, Rahul left for the U.S. to pursue MS in Computer Science at Indiana State University in Fall 2015. Shifting from Theoretical Physics to Computer Science was not an easy task. However, he has successfully obtained an MS in Computer Science from ISU in 2017.
As a PhD student at Univ of Miami, his research interest lies in the development of trustworthy computer vision systems. More specifically, he is exploring deep learning models’ sensitivity and bias based on input data augmentation including the multi-dimensionality of labels, geometrical and texture transformations of images. Currently, he is a U-LINK Predoctoral Fellow with interdisciplinary research investigating how image-based deep learning models reinforce racial/ethnic inequalities using theories and methods combining Computer Science and Sociology. Recently, in collaboration with Bascom Palmer Eye Researchers, he was awarded a Miami CTSI Pilot Award to study the role of gender and racial/ethnic bias in AI-based applications in Ophthalmology
Till date he has a strong tie up with EdUSA. Few days back he joined as resources for an outreach webinar organized by EdUSA Kolkata. Participated in the Alumni Fair too. What he says about EducationUSA: “With numerous standardized prep materials, bi-weekly advisory/FAQ sessions, and frequent interactions with the wide network of USIEF alumni, EducationUSA Kolkata offered me a fun, stimulating and event-packed experience when I decided to pursue my higher education in the US. With the entire process taking about a year, it was encouraging to be surrounded by similarly motivated aspirants giving a sense that we were “all in this together” and it was a wonderful way to make new friends, many of whom I still keep in touch with as I enter my fifth year of being in the US.”
Soham Khedekar, currently enrolled in the MS in Computer Science program at the University of Southern California, is discovering the joys of U.S. academic life. He appreciates his instructors’ attention to detail, something he had not experienced before: “Even if they choose to teach a simple enough concept, they’ll make sure each student has a thorough knowledge of the material.” He also values how he is graded. He says, “they give you the freedom to solve assignments in a manner that is comfortable to you and they encourage you to explore different methods. It’s a treat studying here.”
Besides academics, Soham enjoyed congenial social life through a student group called Bridges International. He narrates: “They have dinner once a week and help international students settle in. That’s been a great experience. I met folks from all over the world and ate some great food. They also hosted a super bowl party for us and hopefully, I’ll be able to attend more events of theirs in the future.”
Living in the U.S. has also helped Soham grow as a person. Soham reflects, “Staying alone makes you responsible and disciplined. Saving money, making new friends, prioritising housework. These lessons, while general and perhaps menial, really go a long way.” He adds, “I have become more appreciative of people and understand what it means to make a living. These small things really change your perspective and help you see things more clearly.”
Soham worked with EducationUSA Mumbai on his U.S. university applications. He recommends EducationUSA for “the knowledge they have of schools and the programs they offer - great advisors and events that really help you get to the next level.” Commenting on his own experience, Soham writes, “It was great! Deborah, my adviser, was super helpful. They welcome calls and reply to emails in no time. My resume and statement of purpose would’ve never reached the heights it did if it hadn’t been for EducationUSA.”
Soham recommends the U.S. for the rigour of the computer science programs and the ample peer exposure. University alumni networks too are helpful for getting referrals and advice. He adds, “The country is a melting pot and has a place for everyone. You will be given what you deserve and nothing less. Also, no other country in the world has so many top-notch universities.”
Digitalization has surely made our lives easy, there is a plethora of information available online to facilitate us in every situation. But I cannot think of any organisation better than EducationUSA when it comes to guiding through the tedious and confusing process of getting admission into a good US university. Ms. Rupali Verma, my advisor at EducationUSA, was of immense help during the whole process. I was a lost soul without her guidance. She is very resourceful and she motivated me all year around in building up a strong profile for my admission. It is because of her candid feedback that I was able to score an admission at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo for a Master’s program in Business Analytics. I am really thankful to her and EducationUSA for easing the entire process and bringing me a step closer to achieve my goals.
Meet Bansi, a student from India! Bansi is an Environmental Engineering student with a Post graduation from TAMU. She says of her experience, "after taking my GRE, I’d absolutely no idea how to gauge which universities would be suitable for me, based on my profile, finances, and overall networking prospects. My parents and I met Janet Turner and cleared some doubts on how EducationUSA guides universities purely in the interest of the students with no hidden marketing intentions. The best part was that they didn’t spoon feed me, but guided more like a mentor and helped me connect with other peers in the group with their meet and greets and seminars so that I could thrive and build my own network there.
It’s amazing to see how nonprofit organizations like EducationUSA still function so well these days. After getting an admit in Texas A&M University, I got in contact with certain students from cities in Gujarat, and in no time, I had friends to rely on since we shared every process on getting an I-20 from Texas A&M University, to selecting roommates, to determining living expenses, everything! It was a great learning curve throughout. Their interactive sessions on a potpourri of aspects gave me a better insight into the American culture and how we have to embrace it. I wish EducationUSA Ahmedabad keeps the spirit on for the betterment of incoming students and keep being that guiding light for students!
Saket Penurkar, an Electronics Engineer from Nagpur, is a first year Masters (Embedded Systems Engineering) student at the University of Colorado Boulder. Saket’s interest in embedded systems sparked during his undergraduate studies while interning with the Indian Navy. He was fascinated by the software used in autonomous systems, the precision control involved and utilization of memory constrained hardware. Saket further wants to gain skills and utilize them in developing software for medical devices making them more connected and efficient. He aims to gain the necessary skills and finds that the University of Colorado, Boulder has the ideal curriculum. This summer, Saket is interning with Analog Devices.
Saket is very thankful for Yashna Trust - EducationUSA Bangalore for their help and guidance. He adds, “The graduate advisor at Yashna Trust - EducationUSA, Bangalore helped me in shortlisting the universities and guided me along the process. This allowed me to have a hassle free experience”