“Hello, the name’s Tuffy, and I’m a barbarian.”

A Barbarian, what's that?

“We're humans just like you. Except we’re bigger, stronger, hairier, and we keep dragons as
pets!”

You can learn more about Tuffy and his kind for just $8 on Amazon, but then you’d have to buy
my latest book in the trilogy, Tuffy the Barbarian and the Magical Sword.
I’ve been obsessed with writing stories since I was eight years old. The idea of crafting an
intricate world with altruistic heroes, complex villains, and most of all- powerful magic
compelled me to put pen to paper during every waking minute of my free time. I was convinced
that one day I’d grow up to be an author with a New York Times, best-selling book series, and a
film adaptation to my name. But (Spoiler alert) if you scroll to the bottom of this page you’ll
realize that my intended major doesn’t exactly match that aspiration.

That’s because, during my junior year, I discovered a different kind of magic—one that doesn’t
require wands or potions, but something just as transformative: code. It all started with a simple
yet profound need—to communicate more effectively with my hearing-impaired grandmother.
The idea that technology could bridge the gap between us was too powerful to ignore. So, I set
out to build an app that could translate my speech into text and convert that text into my
grandmother’s native tongue, allowing us to have conversations that were previously beyond our
reach.

As I watched those first lines of code come to life, I realized that coding wasn’t just a tool—it
was another way to create, to solve problems, and to bring a little bit of magic into the everyday.
This discovery sent me spiraling down the rabbit hole of technology, where I found myself
endlessly experimenting, building, and dreaming of what else I could create. One project led to
another, and soon I was developing Notable AI, an app designed to revolutionize how students
study by using AI to transform lectures and PDFs into interactive notes, quizzes, and flashcards.

As I look ahead to my journey at UT Austin and the Forty Acres Scholars Program, I’m excited
about the opportunities to grow and make an impact. At UT, I plan to continue scaling Notable
AI, taking full advantage of the university’s resources, while delving further into my passions of
writing stories and singing Carnatic music (South Indian Classical Music). Whether it’s through
technology, storytelling, or music, I’ve realized that real magic lies in the power to create and
innovate. At UT, I’m ready to keep that magic alive and see where it takes me

Major: 
Electrical and Computer Engineering

Other interests:
Planning on pursuing a minor in business/entrepreneurship. 

What drew you to the Forty Acres Scholars Program?
At first, I had thought the Forty Acres program was simply a full-ride scholarship that would
help me graduate from my dream school debt-free. And don't get me wrong it is that, but the
program is also so, so much more. The community that FASP provides is unparalleled by any
other program across the nation. I was immediately drawn to the idea of growing alongside a
cohort of intelligent, impactful, and genuine individuals. And after my experiences at finalist
weekend and my freshman retreat, I quickly learned that FASP could provide me with a home
away from home