Sanketh

I had two major problems when I started at RIT. First, I discovered my math was not up to the level expected of an RIT graduate student. My quiz results were disastrous – for a month I couldn’t get a grade of more than 10% on any of them. I felt like a failure.

Then there was a problem with the lease to my apartment and I found myself without a place to live. I couldn’t afford another security deposit with the student loan I was living on. I also couldn’t ask for help from my parents, as they had other financial commitments.

I felt terrible and thought of going home. But ultimately, I realized everyone has problems. Some are big and some are small. I prioritized, made short-term goals and found solutions that acted as answers to multiple problems. I reached out for help in improving my math skills and with hard work I eventually secured a TA position. This helped my financial problems and led to a recommendation for the PhD program in Imagining Science.

This ordinary student from India is well on his way to creating that good life he dreamed of from the beginning.