{"674441":{"#nid":"674441","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Meet the Spring Commencement Reflection Speakers ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EWith family, friends, faculty, and classmates looking on, five graduates will address the crowd inside McCamish Pavilion as this year\u2019s Spring Commencement reflection speakers.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe speakers will be Nikhil Iyengar, a Ph.D. aerospace engineering candidate; Stefanny Arcos, an undergraduate economics candidate; Rishit Desai, an undergraduate computer science candidate; Ritvik Ramakrishnan, a master\u2019s computer science candidate; and Kathleen Devlin, an undergraduate industrial engineering candidate.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003EPh.D. Ceremony: Nikhil Iyengar\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENikhil Iyengar recalls that he \u0022felt a buzz\u0022 inside of McCamish Pavilion when he attended his first Georgia Tech basketball game at the beginning of his Ph.D. program. During Commencement, he\u0027ll deliver a message to his classmates in the same arena.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022So much of our academic journey has been forward-looking. We look forward to finishing our classes. We look forward to completing our qualifying exams. We look forward to proposing and (finally!) defending our theses. It\u0027s a wonderful feeling to realize that the moment we have awaited has arrived. I hope every graduate takes a short stroll around campus to celebrate and cherish this milestone,\u0022 he said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIyengar immersed himself at Tech by competing in the Three Minute Thesis competition, joining clubs, and participating in campus events. These experiences gave him a sense of community, which he leaned on through the challenging moments and shared the successes with along the way.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOriginally from Mumbai, India, Iyengar grew up in Valley Stream, New York, and will join Sandia National Labs in San Francisco to develop climate change models and forecast the impact of environmental policies on climate. As a passion project, he plans to pursue a pilot\u0027s license, saying, \u0022If I know why a plane flies, I should also learn how to fly it.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003EFriday Morning: Stefanny Arcos\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOne grade in one class doesn\u0027t define an academic career. After a disappointing grade on her first differential calculus exam, Stefanny Arcos wondered if she was cut out for Georgia Tech, but help from her advisors and friends gave her a new mindset that powered her through to Commencement \u2014 and it\u0027s one she intends to share.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I think imposter syndrome is real, and I want to help remind my fellow graduates that they are enough. It\u0027s so important to focus on celebrating our small daily victories just as much as the big ones,\u0022 she said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThis opportunity gives Arcos a chance to thank those who helped her throughout her journey, and that support is what she\u0027ll miss the most. \u0022I have met incredible friends and mentors, and I will always be thankful for my time here. Even at my lowest lows, I was always surrounded by people who comforted and cared for me.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Douglasville, Georgia, native will graduate with a degree in economics, and before starting law school, she will take some time off to visit family in Ambato, Ecuador.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003EFriday Afternoon: Rishit Desai\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERishit Desai dreamed of becoming a Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket since he was a child, and from the moment he arrived, he was determined to make the most of his time on campus. Participating in numerous clubs and student organizations, Desai was searching for his \u201cwhy,\u201d and he hopes to inspire his fellow graduates to find theirs.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022We all have our own journeys toward reaching our goals. Find what makes your journey unique to you. Be open to exploring new aspects and opportunities. Discover your passions and strive to make the biggest impact you can make with them. This is something we can carry with us wherever this next chapter takes us,\u0022 he said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ELike many in the Class of 2024, the computer science graduate began his degree program at the onset of the pandemic. He believes it instilled a \u0022historic resilience\u0022 into the student body that will shape their work ethic for years to come.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EDesai, who hails from Columbus, Ohio, will miss the student section of Bobby Dodd Stadium, but when he joins Manhattan Associates\u0027 Atlanta office as a software analyst, he\u0027ll be close by to attend future home games.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003ESaturday Morning: Ritvik Ramakrishnan\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EA speech impediment kept Ritvik Ramakrishnan from finding his voice until middle school. The ability to overcome obstacles is a lesson the Stamps President\u0027s Scholar will share from the podium.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022My message to my fellow graduates is to embrace their strengths, persevere through challenges, and use their voices to make a difference,\u201d he said. \u201cI want to encourage them to view setbacks as opportunities for growth, trust the process, and never underestimate their potential as Georgia Tech graduates. Just as I found my voice and learned to embrace my strengths, I know each of them will find their path to success, paved with the white and gold of Georgia Tech.\u0022\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERamakrishnan is looking forward to seeing his classmates\u0027 faces as he delivers his speech after his high school graduation speech was delivered virtually. A member of Startup Exchange, a CREATE-X Scholar, and a master\u0027s candidate in computer science, Ramakrishnan believes the collaborative energy across the Institute is unmatched, especially in its entrepreneurial endeavors.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBefore joining McKinsey \u0026amp; Company as a business analyst, the Frisco, Texas, native will participate in a six-week spiritual retreat.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003ESaturday Afternoon: Kathleen Devlin\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBefore college, Kathleen Devlin lived in Mexico, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, and New Jersey, but she found a sense of belonging at Georgia Tech. Like many of her peers, the industrial engineering major likes to find solutions with data, but between the number of all-nighters, football games attended, or time spent at the CRC, she knows not everything fits into an equation.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022I want to share with my fellow graduates that our college experience cannot be defined. It cannot be simply quantified or boiled down to just one particular moment. It is, rather, all-encompassing,\u0022 she said.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAnalyzing the numbers of Commencement, Devlin has calculated that it takes an average of 32 seconds to cross the stage, shake President Cabrera\u0027s hand, and exit, so she encourages all graduates to enjoy every moment of that experience.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter Commencement, she will head to her \u0022happy place\u0022 at the beach and take a European vacation before moving to New York City in August to start as a sales and trading analyst at J.P. Morgan Chase \u0026amp; Co.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Five speakers will address their fellow graduates as they complete their Georgia Tech journeys.  "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFive speakers will address their fellow graduates as they complete their Georgia Tech journeys.\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Five speakers will address their fellow graduates as they complete their Georgia Tech journeys.  "}],"uid":"36418","created_gmt":"2024-04-30 16:05:25","changed_gmt":"2024-05-01 17:58:02","author":"sgagliano3","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2024-04-30T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2024-04-30T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"673889":{"id":"673889","type":"image","title":"2024 Spring Commencement Reflection Speakers","body":"\u003Cp\u003EFrom left to right:\u0026nbsp;Nikhil Iyengar,\u0026nbsp;Stefanny Arcos,\u0026nbsp;Rishit Desai,\u0026nbsp;Ritvik Ramakrishnan,\u0026nbsp;Kathleen Devlin\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","created":"1714493346","gmt_created":"2024-04-30 16:09:06","changed":"1714493346","gmt_changed":"2024-04-30 16:09:06","alt":"2024 Spring Commencement Reflection Speakers","file":{"fid":"257340","name":"Screenshot 2024-04-29 at 10.28.24\u202fPM.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/30\/Screenshot%202024-04-29%20at%2010.28.24%E2%80%AFPM.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2024\/04\/30\/Screenshot%202024-04-29%20at%2010.28.24%E2%80%AFPM.png","mime":"image\/png","size":3774610,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2024\/04\/30\/Screenshot%202024-04-29%20at%2010.28.24%E2%80%AFPM.png?itok=N8I7YqRX"}}},"media_ids":["673889"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/features\/2024\/04\/spring-2024-commencement-speakers-announced","title":"Spring 2024 Commencement Speakers Announced"},{"url":"https:\/\/commencement.gatech.edu","title":"Commencement Information"},{"url":"https:\/\/news.gatech.edu\/news\/2024\/04\/18\/what-not-wear-commencement-editionand-other-tips-your-graduation-day","title":"What Not to Wear: Commencement Edition\u2026and Other Tips For Your Graduation Day"}],"groups":[{"id":"1214","name":"News Room"}],"categories":[{"id":"42901","name":"Community"},{"id":"193157","name":"Student Honors and Achievements"}],"keywords":[{"id":"190493","name":"Reflection speakers"},{"id":"167101","name":"Spring Commencement"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:Steven.gagliano@gatech.edu\u0022\u003ESteven Gagliano\u003C\/a\u003E - Institute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["Steven.gagliano@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}