For Rathika Mallepally, the TEA scholarship was more than just a monetary award. The scholarship came with a Longhorn support system ready to champion her every endeavor in college.

As she nears graduation, Mallepally says the scholarship has influenced her college experience for the better.

While at UT, the business honors and finance major has worked as a certified nursing assistant on a medical service trip to Nicaragua, consulted for an international oncology service firm in Brazil, and is currently leading a team to consult for a medical nonprofit in Central America.

Can we say globetrotter?

“My experiences have been eclectic, and the scholarship has given me the flexibility to figure out what I am most passionate about,” Mallepally says.

As one of the last TEA scholars, Mallepally hopes to leave a lasting impression after graduation.

And she’s already on her way toward doing so.

During a recent medical school interview, one of the interviewers told Mallepally something she’ll cherish forever. He said, “Most people in finance just want to go into private practice, make a lot of money, retire, and live a cushy lifestyle. But I can tell just from talking to you that you’re different—you’re selfless.”

For a complete stranger to make that assertion about Mallepally speaks volumes about her character and why she is a TEA scholar. She is more than deserving of the scholarship, but prefers to remain humble.

"It was rewarding to hear that this physician understood my passion and interests in the medical and business fields,” Mallepally says. “I think it is this commitment to lifelong service that truly qualified me for the award.”

Mallepally will start medical school next fall. Although she is unsure what her focus will be, she aspires to walk in the footsteps of the most distinguished TEA alumni, who helped her get to where she is now.