Ask an Alum: Aakriti Agrawal
Coming to Nebraska as an international student was a new experience for Aakriti. But the actuarial science and finance major from Pune, India soon found a community and built lasting and impactful relationships through her involvement. Today, she helps people understand how to use data at Ameritas and encourages young girls to get involved in STEM through Girls Code Lincoln. We talked to her about being involved, co-founding a nonprofit and the power of mentorship.
What was it like coming to Nebraska as an international student? Did you have any misconceptions about the university when you first started?
I had never really heard of Nebraska before coming here and had never visited, so I had no idea what I would be walking into! I had heard Nebraska was cold and very flat, but that’s really all I knew. My first day on campus was confusing — Selleck was still empty as the other students hadn’t moved in yet, and the campus was pretty quiet, except for Greek row where there were a lot of girls in white dresses. I was afraid that I wouldn’t make friends because I wouldn’t fit in, and I was confused as to why everyone was wearing the same thing! My worries subsided the next day when the international students started moving into campus and I made friends with people I’m still very close to!
You were really involved in your time on campus. Why was being involved so important to you?
As an international student, I came here knowing absolutely no one. My family was in India, and all of the students from my high school went to other universities around the world. During international orientation (my first few days at the university), Mike Wismer and Jamie Unger saw potential in me and asked me to get involved in Cultural Ambassadors. From there, I learned that getting involved was a good way to find community, and I found myself getting over-involved my freshman year, and then, as I got further in my degree, I chose which areas of involvement mattered to me the most. Being involved allowed me to feel at home on campus, which was crucial to my success at Nebraska.
As an undergrad, you were involved in Nebraska Business’ DreamBIG Academy. What did you gain from that experience?
I can confidently say that being a DreamBIG Academy mentor changed my life! I had always been passionate about mentoring as I’ve always had mentors that have been very influential in my life, but DreamBIG was the first time I saw the true impact of the mentorship relationship. There were 10 mentors, and each of us had 4–5 students that we mentored during the week. DreamBIG was unique because the mentors were given plenty of time to bond — and we created strong connections in our group. We were then able to take this relationship and share it with our students. It’s been really cool watching our DreamBIG students grow over the years, and some of them returned to be mentors themselves!
Many mentors influenced my life trajectory, in big ways and small ways. I think it’s important that I pay it forward, so I make a conscious effort to mentor students and young professionals, and share what I know. We grow when we lift others up.
Talk a little about helping co-found Girls Code Lincoln.
Girls Code Lincoln (GCL) is a grassroots 501c3 nonprofit that ignites a passion for girls in STEM, particularly tech. Across the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields, and particularly in tech, women hold only 25% of the jobs. As we look at the representation of women in higher-level positions in corporations, that number continues to diminish. This is particularly appalling because women created the path in tech, yet still, young girls don’t see technology as an option for them. Research shows that a middle school girl has already decided that she won’t go into tech, so our work starts earlier.
Girls Code Lincoln started as a local chapter of the national nonprofit Girls Who Code, and ran as an afterschool program. When I started volunteering after graduating college, we noticed that our local chapter would have more opportunity if we ran independently — this would give us the freedom to write our own curriculum, fundraise in our own way, and cater to the needs of our community! Our five most involved volunteers at the time (all five of which are alums of the Nebraska system — 4 UNL, 1 UNO) founded Girls Code Lincoln!
Founding a nonprofit with no nonprofit experience is tough, but we leaned on our community! We asked a lot of questions to the people around us, and used services like the Nebraska Law school’s consulting hours to help us get started! We’ve been able to grow from 7 students to 50+, and have our volunteers, donors, and the community at large to thank!
What is the most rewarding part about being involved with Girls Code Lincoln?
Working with the kids! When you work with kids, you don’t always know what they’ll retain or which words or actions of yours will have an impact. Most of all, I’m just really proud that we can ignite a passion for technology in the hearts of these young girls, and we can show them what’s possible. We teach our GCL girls to be courageous and to be okay with failure, and I don’t think it’s really possible to explain how much I learn in the process. Our girls have become more confident while working with us, but I notice that I have too. Our girls have become braver, and I have too. Our girls have a home at our clubs, and so do our volunteers, and it’s been really cool to be able to create something like that!
What is the best part of your job at Ameritas?
I’ve been at Ameritas for two years and work as a Data Governance Analyst. My job is to help people understand how they can harness the power of data! I love my job for a few reasons — my coworkers are awesome and I’ve made so many best friends at the company! We have a really fun weekly happy hour that re-energizes me during the week! They used to be in person before the pandemic, but now they’ve been virtual for over a year and they’re still just as fun as the first day! Ameritas also has a great corporate culture. The benefits are great, but so are the events, and they’re something I’m really missing during the pandemic. Most of all though, I love working at a company that gives back to the community so much. As you can tell, I’m very passionate about community involvement and volunteering, and so spending my day at a company that shares that love for the community is so important!
Was there someone at Nebraska (faculty, staff, advisor, peer, etc.) that had the biggest impact on you?
There were so many faculty and staff members that played a huge role in my success at Nebraska! Mike Wismer guided me through my New Student Enrollment experiences and encouraged me to get involved on campus; Professor Sue Vagts helped me learn about opportunities within my field and guided me academically; Sheri Irwin-Gish provided countless occasions for mentorship and leadership development! Overall, there were hundreds of people that played a role — big or small — in my development at Nebraska, and even after my time at the university!
Is there one thing you learned in your time at Nebraska that you’ve taken with you and continue to use every day?
My time at Nebraska taught me to step outside of my comfort zone. There were a lot of opportunities that I never expected to lead to anything, but they did — so I learned early that I should try different things and see where they take me. I still live with this today — I tend to say yes to more things than I should, and I’m always surprised at where they lead!
What advice would you give to other students that want to make an impact in their community?
Find something you’re passionate about and ask if you can get involved! It’s amazing how far asking goes — ask that person who you’d love to have as a mentor if they want to grab a cup of coffee (even virtually), ask that nonprofit you love if there’s any way you can help, ask that company you want to work at if you can shadow — just ask! Most people will say yes, or will try to create opportunities if you just advocate for yourself and the people around you!
Do you have a favorite memory from your time at Nebraska?
Oh, this is so hard! I have SO many memories I loved from Nebraska! For three of the four years I was at UNL, I called Selleck home, and I find myself really missing the friendships of Selleck’s hallways. I made so many friends just walking around the dorm and talking to random strangers, and it was so fascinating how varied everyone’s experiences were! We used to hang out at the dining hall for hours every day talking!
