Mayank Arya’s Post

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆, 𝗜 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀! I still remember saying that to my dad more than a decade ago, back when I was prepping for India’s toughest engineering entrance exam. My lack of enthusiasm for Chemistry certainly cost me a better rank, but it also led to an interesting conversation at home on why I don't want to pursue a career in one of the traditional engineering paths as he did! Fast forward 10 years: and here I am, having just completed an 𝗠𝗦 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗼𝗳𝘁𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 from Carnegie Mellon University - Integrated Innovation Institute! This milestone follows my undergraduate journey in Software Engineering - a path I took because I realized I was more drawn to the logical elegance of code than to chemical equations! Stepping into this program in the U.S. was a giant leap—one that has completely reshaped how I perceive the world, approach problems, communicate with others, and envision my career. Concepts like 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘈𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘴, always finding the ‘𝘈𝘩𝘢!’ 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯t, properly 𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘴, and employing the 5 𝘞𝘩𝘺𝘴 framework have all left a permanent mark on how I tackle problems now. I’m deeply grateful to every classmate, mentor, and friend who crossed my path during these 16 months. Your encouragement, perspectives, and camaraderie have fueled my growth. A special shoutout to my professors— Adrian C. Ott Catherine Fang Gladys M. Mercier Karimulla Shaikh Lake Dai Matt Kirmayer Ravi Thomas Mohan Ph.D. Sheryl Root Stuart Evans Shyamala Prayaga—your support and insights were priceless gifts. As I step forward, I carry with me not only a more refined and elaborate set of skills, but also renewed confidence in following my own interests. Here’s to celebrating the journey and looking ahead to what’s next! 🎓