“Akshaya, we’re going to India this summer.”

It was the summer before high school, and I hadn’t visited India in ten years. I was raised in a traditional household, reading Indian fables, learning Hindu art forms, and wearing lehengas, but outside of my house, I hid that part of myself. I ran from my family in India when they called hoping to get to know me and would refuse to speak our native language. It was hard to find a connection between my life in America and my heritage in India.

When my family arrived in India, we were greeted by the smiling faces of my grandparents, aunts, and uncles. My parents had blinding grins and teary eyes, embracing their family after a decade. It was then that I truly realized how much my parents sacrificed to give me opportunities they never had.

In India, I found an appreciation for the power of business. With four kids, my grandparents realized that they could not continue to live meal-to-meal and had to educate their children. Taking out a loan and saving up every spare rupee, they faced countless obstacles and created a small, but successful, business in their village. I am constantly in awe of the future they created for my family and others in their community, providing jobs and spreading their blessings.

My family’s story is a reminder of the opportunities I have to support my community. Working in the food and service industry and volunteering with the American Red Cross, I’ve encountered the far-reaching and demoralizing aspects of homelessness and poverty. Without being empowered to escape this cycle of poverty, it is hard to look past day-to-day necessities and plan for the future. Business can be used as a mechanism to achieve financial freedom, changing the course of generations.

Throughout high school, I worked with my local small business association as a consultant to lift up local businesses, especially during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. I helped small businesses stay afloat and mentored students who were looking to do the same. In my own way, I tried to aid my community by applying business principles.

“What starts here, changes the world” and at UT I hope that one day I can turn my small impacts and localized mentorships into a larger scale. I want to walk through life honoring the sacrifices of the generations before me.

Major:
Business Honors

Honors Program:
Canfield Business Honors Program

Other Academic Interests:
Public Policy, Finance, Data Science

What drew you to the Forty Acres Scholars Program?
In my Forty Acres Scholarship essay, I used the metaphor of Dorothy walking through the yellow brick road (Speedway of course) to illustrate my journey towards higher education and unlocking my fullest potential. During finalist weekend, I knew that with FASP I would have my very own Glinda guiding the way. That weekend I also realized that this program could offer mentors and opportunities to create the connections that I desire in my college experience. The Forty Acres Scholars Program provided an environment where I could immerse myself among passionate individuals mutually invested in one another's growth and development. This program is more than just financial support, it’s an opportunity to create a family at the Forty Acres.

What makes your scholar cohort unique?
During our freshman retreat, we did a personal map activity where we talked about our life journeys and what brought us to UT. Each of our stories was unique but I could find something that I had in common and something that fascinated me for each and every person. What makes our cohort remarkable is how willing we are to learn from and accept each other. With every one of my conversations, I find something awe-inspiring about another member of my cohort and I am confident that our college journeys will be better together.