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GOPIO-CT hosts panel discussion for college and high school students
The engaging discussion aimed to prepare students for the transition from high school to college and, eventully, to achieve their professional goals.
Panelists and Moderator at the GOPIO-CT Youth and Young Professional Networking Event, from l. to r. Sushanth, Akarapu, Swaminathan, Bhalla, Chavan, Jha and Kuppuswamy / GOPIO-CT
The Connecticut chapter of the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO-CT) recently hosted a panel discussion event titled ‘College and Beyond’ at the Hampton Inn and Suites in Stamford, Connecticut.
The event was aimed at equipping high school students with a roadmap to navigate the challenging college admissions process, prepare for the transition from high school to college where support systems shift, and understand how to leverage both academic and non-academic opportunities to achieve professional goals.
Speakers who shared their wisdom and insights on various aspects of college and professional life included Shubin Jha, CIO of Menai Financial Group, a crypto hedge fund; Ruchi Bhalla, VP of Global Talent Management at Pitney Bowes; Adarsh Sushanth, S/W engineer at Vanguard; and Kabir Chavan, analyst at AQR’s Global Trading Dept.
Bhalla briefed the audience on hiring and human resource trends across industries. She underscored the growing importance of technological literacy in an AI-dominated age. Shubin Jha highlighted the significance of qualifications beyond degrees, focusing on what employers seek in recent graduates while every panelist emphasized the critical role of networking to discover educational opportunities and professional paths.
The discussion also involved students— Shouri Akarapu, senior at Brown University; Veda Swaminathan, Sophomore at UChicago; Gourav Bansal, Junior at UChicago; Himani Narayan, Sophomore at Pace University and Aryan Maheshwari, Freshman at Binghamton University.
Swaminathan and Akarapu, a senior at Brown University, reassure students about the college selection process, maintaining that students often find a college suitable to them. Meanwhile Sushanth highlighted that while most undergraduate courses have similar curriculums, the real differentiation lies in the effort students put in and the benefits they draw from the college's faculty, opportunities, and alumni network.
GOPIO International Chairman Dr. Abraham Speaking at the event. / GOPIOGOPIO officials including GOPIO international chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham, GOPIO-CT president Dr. Jaya Daptardar, executive vice president Mahesh Jhangiani, vice president Prachi Narayan, treasurer Srinivas Akarapu, and associate secretary Ashvini Persaud attended the event.
In her welcome address, Dr. Daptardar spoke about GOPIO-CT activities and urged the youth and young professionals to get involved in them. At the event’s conclusion, Dr. Abraham highlighted the mission of GOPIO International and the contributions made by the various chapters. Jhangiani concluded the meeting with a vote of thanks. The program was put together by board member Kuppuswamy.
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