Community / December 16, 2016

Neha Kundagrami '17 Embraces Her Experience

Victor Mullins, associate dean of the undergraduate program at the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business, recently interviewed Smith Senior Neha Kundagrami ’17 to discuss how she is “embracing her experience” during her Smith journey. So what does the Smith journey entail? During their freshman year, Smith students begin to build their personal brand through the SmithStart program. Sophomores dedicate their second year to pioneering their path to success by focusing on an overall academic and career strategy. Junior year focuses on students taking command of their careers during to ensure that they are well positioned for their professional journey. Finally, as a senior with an arsenal of tools, knowledge and networks, Smith students are able to embrace their experience and celebrate their success.

Dean Mullins: Reflect on how you “built your brand” during your freshmen year.

Neha: Freshman year was spent focusing on what the Smith School could offer me. A majority of my freshman year was spent reaching out to professors and other resources to see what opportunities I should be aiming for that would best highlight my skillsets and my career goals. I began as a finance major, however, I only had a general idea of what this entailed and what skillsets I would need to develop to excel in the field. The Smith School's upper-level core requirements were really helpful in this sense, as they allowed me to "dip a toe" into the basics of all the majors offered by the Smith School, so that I could see which areas of study were the best fit for me.

Dean Mullins: How about your sophomore year? How did you “pioneer your path?”

Neha: I spent sophomore year narrowing my path to see what end goals were the best for me. I loved the course BMGT332 (Operations Research for Management Decisions) and, in an effort to add more of that sort of thinking to my academic focus, I added supply chain management as a second major. I also joined the QUEST program, which, to this day, is one of the best decisions I have made in my undergraduate career. QUEST taught me how to think, and how to approach and solve a complex, multidimensional, real-world problem, and put me on a track for technology consulting that defined the rest of my undergraduate career.

Dean Mullins: And how did you “command your career” during your junior year?

Neha: My biggest recommendation for junior year – and for every student in the Smith School - is to talk to the professors. I reached out to some, and their advice about coursework and career goals and how to focus my studies was invaluable. A few professors also helped me realize that what I liked most about BMGT332 was the operations management side of the degree, so I switched my second major to be operations management, as opposed to supply chain management. Furthermore, my professors, after understanding what my end career goals were, urged me to add a minor in statistics, as it would boost my ability to excel after graduation.

Dean Mullins: As you approach graduation from the Robert H. School of Business, how are you “embracing your experience?”

Neha: I'm wrapping up my coursework, but more than that, I'm delving into the myriad of other course choices offered. College is the only time when I will have the ability to study whatever I want and learn from industry leaders in top fields. I might be the only senior in the ASTR100 course, but I still have a chance to learn about astronomy and other subjects I have never previously contemplated, and I'm taking advantage of that opportunity.

Dean Mullins: What advice would you give to your fellow Smith peers and community?

Neha: My advice is to put yourself out there. Grades matter, of course, but being known and developing your skillsets matter even more. The majority of people after graduating the Smith School have a lot of amazing skillsets. Having leadership abilities is definitely one that UMD definitely hammers into you. Make sure you develop a skillset that will set you apart from everyone else and find something that differentiates you from your peers.

Dean Mullins: How have you/are you making your mark on campus?

Neha: I think the time has come for me to make my mark by “paying it forward.” I would not be where I am today if it were not for all the support I received from upperclassmen, teachers, professors, and other mentors. And, although I still have much to learn and a long way to go, I can start paying back to the community that made me who I am.

Dean Mullins: What is your dream?

Neha: My long term goal is to take the skillsets I have to help impoverished communities improve their access to basic human rights from a financial or business standpoint.  If there is one thing I have learned in my four years here, it is that I know nothing. So, for now, I'm focusing on developing and improving my talents before I put them to use.

Dean Mullins: Why are you passionate about the Smith School?

Neha: I'm passionate about everything the Smith School offers and all the resources it provides to make students succeed. The Office of Career Services, the resume reviews, the career fairs, the available office hours, the varied classwork - the Smith School really gives us every resource imaginable to make sure that we have everything we need to make our mark on the world.

Media Contact

Greg Muraski
Media Relations Manager
301-405-5283  
301-892-0973 Mobile
gmuraski@umd.edu 

About the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business

The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate, full-time and flex MBA, executive MBA, online MBA, business master’s, PhD and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.

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