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Kavya Ajaykumar

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Bio

Hello! My name is Kavya and I'm a sophomore undergraduate at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for Mechanical Engineering, with a minor in Tech & Management. I love architecture, Formula 1, and hope to use my engineering skills to create human-centered and sustainable solutions to problems. I'm a member of UIUC's Baja SAE team and in high school was on NNHS' competitive robotics team (FRC League). I was CSO, Mechanical Build Leader, Drive Coach, and Chairman's Lead. With COVID halting the competition season, I co-founded a free, online tutoring program, called AMP, that paired high schoolers with elementary schoolers over Zoom to tutor, mentor, or hang out. As interest in AMP grew, our project expanded into a city, state, and inter-state program. AMP turned into “summer cAMP”, with 100 high school-aged counselors and 200 elementary students. We launched a free, 8-week, virtual summer camp. I was AMP's head administrator, marketing lead, and mentor. I learned how to manage large-scale logistics and create a network with nearly 60 organizations. Using my leadership, management, and engineering skills, I aim to use my education to help those around me. Just like our AMP project, I hope to make a positive impact to as many people as I can. Specifically, through sustainable innovation new technology can help people while replacing harmful practices of the past. Technologies like EVs, renewable fuel for planes, and sustainable housing + development are some areas of interest where I want to make an impact.

Education

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Bachelor's degree program
2023 - 2027
  • Majors:
    • Mechanical Engineering
  • Minors:
    • Business Administration, Management and Operations

Newton North High

High School
2019 - 2023

Miscellaneous

  • Desired degree level:

    Master's degree program

  • Graduate schools of interest:

  • Transfer schools of interest:

  • Majors of interest:

    • Mechanical Engineering
  • Not planning to go to medical school
  • Career

    • Dream career field:

      Mechanical or Industrial Engineering

    • Dream career goals:

      Use engineering to improve human life, mainly through environmental innovations. Working on projects like electric vehicles, and clean energy aviation, and sustainable housing are where I want to use my skillset.

    • Laser Engineer Intern: Worked on SolidWorks models of cosmetic lasers, and worked on physical prototypes in lab. Gained knowledge in photonics and LASER physics.

      AVAVA Medical
      2022 – 2022
    • Lead Administrator and Co-Founder of AMP, a free online tutoring/mentoring program during the 2020 pandemic. Held positions as Marketing Lead and Mentor/Tutor.

      AMP - LigerBots
      2020 – 20222 years
    • Cashier + Line

      Breugger's Bagels
      2023 – 20241 year

    Sports

    Soccer

    Club
    2010 – 20166 years

    Boxing

    Club
    2019 – 20201 year

    Archery

    Club
    2019 – 20201 year

    Research

    • Data Processing

      Krita.ai (formerly iShield.ai) — Compiling + Analyzing Data
      2021 – 2022

    Arts

    • Newton Music Conservatory

      Music
      2018 – 2022

    Public services

    • Volunteering

      FIRST Lego League — Mentor, Referee, Judge
      2019 – 2023
    • Volunteering

      LigerBots' AMP Project — Admin and tutor
      2020 – 2022
    • Volunteering

      AMP Summer 2021 — Tutor + Admin
      2021 – 2022

    Future Interests

    Advocacy

    Volunteering

    Philanthropy

    Entrepreneurship

    Innovators of Color in STEM Scholarship
    Winner
    One of my favorite quotes my old high school robotics coach used to say was, “Engineering is just like building legos, except our legos are WAY more expensive,”. In elementary school, I loved (and still do) crafts and art—coupled with a strong aversion to math. Walking into my 3rd-grade class, you would always find me doing one of two things, coloring with as many colorful markers as I could find or playing in the classroom Lego pit. Every birthday whenever my dad asked me what I wanted, it would always be art supplies and a new LEGO Friends set, since I was adamant about building a collection of every Friends’ Dream Houses. Eventually, the dream houses I built out of Legos would turn into buildings, and by middle school I’d ask for Lego Architecture sets, trying to recreate the Eiffel Tower or Taj Mahal. Soon enough, I was messing around with Lego Mindstorm sets, trying to code Lego robots, and eventually in high school sketching prototypes for 120-pound aluminum robots. This slow transition made me realize how creativity was actually at the root of engineering. It taught me that engineering is just like art, except instead of paints, brushes, and canvas we use math, science, and occasionally metal. With a history of white and male demographics dominating the STEM field, many students are immediately turned off by the idea of getting involved in STEM. In addition, STEM degrees have a reputation for being difficult to pursue due to their intense math and science requirements, but I hope to show how math and science are only half of what is required to be a good engineer. I aim to be an example of how physical appearances don’t determine a creative engineer. One of the most important parts of my high school robotics experience was that having even just one other POC or woman in the room made me feel like I belonged. I aim to stay in the STEM field to help other minorities feel the same way. I hope to encourage students younger than me who might find STEM daunting or too “mathy” to realize how artistic STEM can be. As I pursue a degree in mechanical engineering, I hope to encourage other students my age or even older to stay in the STEM field. Retention is the most crucial part of diversifying the STEM field, and I hope that I can be a friend, classmate, and/or co-worker who supports BIPOC people around me. As a result of increasing retention, I hope to help create an environment where being a person of color (or any minority for that matter) is no longer something we need to point out or emphasize. I want to help create an environment where being BIPOC and pursuing a degree in STEM is normalized and no longer something that stands out. I hope to create an environment where being a POC in STEM is no longer needed to “work towards” because it already exists.
    Kavya Ajaykumar Student Profile | Bold.org