ASU grad learns about her own impact and adaptability

“Kites fly highest against the wind, not with it.”

This is a quote that recent ASU graduate Bindu Nakirikanti tells herself whenever she's  faced with any sort of adversity. It is also a piece of wisdom Nakirikanti has been happy to share with anyone she knows who faces their own adversities. 

Nakirikanti, who just graduated with her degree in biomedical informatics and a minor in business, is no stranger to offering advice, especially to other students. In fact, she spent her senior year working as a community assistant for ASU University Housing after having worked as a peer mentor for two years.

ASU graduate Bindu Nakirikanti

“I think my favorite part of being a CA is getting to know all the residents on my floor,” Nakirikanti said. “Everyone is different; everyone comes from a different place. [I like] getting to know how they came here to ASU and what their goals are.”

In her time working with University Housing, Nakirikanti worked with mentors from her college, the College of Health Solutions, to create events that would best cater to her residents. These events were aimed at creating a fun and supportive environment for them. 

Nakirikanti said her own college experience has also been enriched by her time as a CA and peer mentor. This position has afforded her the opportunity to meet many new students from many different backgrounds.

In addition to working with University Housing, Nakirikanti also spent her last four years being a part of the Next Generation Service Corps. This program is designed to help students develop leadership, collaboration and problem-solving skills. 

As she graduated, Nakirikanti reflected on her time at ASU and shared her advice for current Sun Devils. 

Question. What was your “aha” moment, when you realized you wanted to study the field you majored in?

Answer. I think my “aha” moment was when I was going through ASU’s major list. I originally wanted to go to med school, and I realized I didn't want to work as a doctor but I still wanted to be somewhere in the health care industry and that's where I found biomedical informatics. 

It’s that perfect spot where I could be in the health care industry but I’d be doing different things. Instead of being a doctor, I would be making sure hospitals [make] better decisions and have programs implemented to give patients a better experience.

Q. What’s something you learned while at ASU — in the classroom or otherwise — that surprised you, that changed your perspective?

A. I think being a part of the Next Generation Service Corps has helped me view so many different problems from different perspectives. Especially when you read case studies on how so many big programs are implemented, we see the reasons behind it and we see how each sector, the public, private and nonprofit sectors have a role that they play. 

Just being in my NGSC taught me that the world is really bigger than it seems, but at the same time you can make it catered toward you as long as you solve those problems and as long as you work toward helping others. 

Q. Why did you choose ASU?

A. I mainly chose ASU because I got a scholarship for a full ride. It was really nice because it was closer to home and I wasn’t sure that I was ready to move out of state completely. I wanted to stay in a closer vicinity to home in case anything happened or in case I wasn't ready, just so I'd have a home to go back to and not have a backup plan.

Q. Which professor taught you the most important lesson while at ASU? 

A. I think it would be one of my NGSC professors; his name is Gordon Shockley. He was my social entrepreneurship professor. He really taught me how social entrepreneurship can benefit the world and how we can make change that way. It doesn’t have to be big corporations making a change, it can be one single person that can implement these kinds of changes in their daily life. That's what really impacted me [and influenced me] to go make a change in the world. 

Q.  What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to those still in school?

A. Take any opportunity that comes your way. Coming into college, I was really nervous, so there were a lot of different things that I really didn’t try out. My biggest piece of advice would be to take any and every opportunity that comes your way and be open to doing everything, just to become a better version of yourself, even if you don’t like it. That’s what helps shape you and mold you into the person you’ll be in the future. 

Q.  What was your favorite spot on campus, whether for studying, meeting friends or just thinking about life?

A. I think my favorite spot would be right outside the MU. That is the heart of campus, basically. [My friends and I] would congregate and sit there before we’d go to our next class. Once the library was renovated, I think that became my favorite spot, too, because there were so many areas to explore and sit with friends. It was a great meet-up spot.

Q. What are your plans after graduation? 

A. Originally, I had planned on working in the industry but I think what I’m currently planning on doing is working while pursuing my master’s in data analytics; that’s what's in store for right now. In the future, I would like to go into consulting and then get my MBA.

Q. If someone gave you $40 million to solve one problem on our planet, what would you tackle? 

A. I think I’d first start with the environmentalism problem that we have. I would make sure eco-friendly things are implemented in our daily lives in order to help sustain our planet so we can be on it longer. That’s the first thing I’d tackle.

Q. How has your education at ASU benefitted you in your first few months post-grad? 

A. Using all the skill sets I've learned in my classes, I was able to get interviews for jobs.

Q.  Given this unsure time in history, how have your plans for this new chapter of life changed? 

A. My original plan before everything happened was to go into the workforce for a couple of years and then plan on getting my master's. But now with everything going on, I have decided to apply for master's programs — especially because of the market going down —  and now I am applying to jobs as I am studying for my GMAT.

My new goal is to hopefully get a job as an associate consultant at a cloud software company while I pursue my master's in management degree.

Q.  How have you been utilizing this time post-grad? 

A. I have been utilizing my time by developing my technical skill sets — such as Excel, Tableau and consulting cases — and by applying to jobs while practicing different types of self-care methods like painting, meditating and reading in order to keep my mind calm.

Q.  What courses at ASU have been the most applicable to your professional experience post-grad? 

A. So far, the courses that have been most applicable have been my management courses and my modelling diagnostic data!

Q.  In what ways do you plan to expand your professional goals now that you have entered the workforce in your industry? 

A. I have been using Skillshare, Udemy, and InsideSherpa to improve my skill sets during this trying time. I have been learning new courses and gaining more perspective on issues plaguing the world and how efficient use of data can help tackle that.

Q.  Now that you’ve been a college graduate for a few months, how has your reflection and insight on your college experience changed?

A. I've realized that even though I've finished one chapter of my life, there is still more learning and more of my life yet to come and experience. Instead of being sad, I've taken the time to reflect on what kind of person I've become and where I can improve and make myself a better person to help others.