Student Spotlight: Sahiti Nadimpalli

Sahiti Nadimpalli (‘22) balances cybersecurity, operations management, clubs, photography, and a myriad of other things all while maintaining a strong academic record.

Nadimpalli approached her college application process knowing that she was interested in a variety of aspects of the business world, both in data analysis, public relations, and education.

However, when she found the University of Maryland Operations Management major, she realized she did not have to sacrifice either of these interests.

“I was always very interested in the analytical part of businesses, trying to figure out how you would take the data that you have and make sure that you can increase company profits, and then also the conflict resolution part,” said Nadimpalli. “I like that the Operations Management courses that UMD offers incorporates both operations management and business analytics into one major, so, I thought that was most aligned with what I wanted to do.”

However, when entering into her freshman year after choosing the ACES Living-Learning Program, Nadimpalli was worried that her research interests would isolate her from her peers.

Instead, she was greeted by a diverse community, one that continues to celebrate every student who comes in, no matter the discipline.

“ACES is a community that really fosters each person’s individual interests,” Nadimpalli noted. “I definitely came in expecting to be the only non-comp-sci major, but once I came here, even though the majority of the people I met might have been computer engineering or computer science majors, they all had their individual interests.”

By joining ACES, Nadimpalli fostered a family who not only helped her learn to be herself, but that taught her how to make connections with those not in her field: “Everyone in the ACES community makes sure you can find someone similar to you. They also make sure you can enjoy the differences within the community and that you can learn from what others have to say, and then they learn from what you have to say.”

Now, marching through her second year, Nadimpalli is grateful for the interdisciplinary perspective on operations management that her chosen LLP has given her.

“When you are working with large data sets, it’s very possible for there to be a breach, and there’s also going into the future, I think we’re headed in a direction that’s very cyber-based and very technology-based,” she stated. “ACES is a great way to get the background that I need, and I think it’s something unique I am able to offer to future employers.”

After getting her Master’s degree (preferably through involvement in a plus one program), Nadimpalli hopes to work in the financial division of an established corporation, with plans to teach after gaining experience in the field.

And, though she’s busy with multiple different fields inside the classroom, she makes sure to maintain a similar variety in her extracurricular life. When she’s not studying, Nadimpalli is a member of a handful of business- or teaching-related clubs, as well as continuing to pursue her love of Indian Classical Dance, an art form she has been involved with for 14 years. Nadimpalli also serves as one of the student photographers for ACES.

Published October 3, 2019