Student Spotlight: October 9, Week 8
International Student Profile: Meet Nitya Mittal
Nitya Mittal is a sophomore international student from Mumbai, India, pursuing a degree in Biotechnology with a minor in Management. Nitya wants a career in the research field—but not as a researcher herself. Instead, she hopes to leverage her business minor and experience in leadership into a management position that allows her to work more in the business perspective of research science.
Nitya attributes her decision to study abroad to the United States’ flourishing biotech space. She says, “I considered my career goals instead of the country shift. I wanted to go learn in the best environment possible.” Nitya contends that, although India is an engineering powerhouse, not many universities in her home region offer the same level of biotech expertise that can found here at Kent. “I shortlisted the universities with the most equipment for hands-on experience, and Kent State was at the top of the list when considering academic opportunities, affordability, and research potential.” She goes on to say that because biotech is a diverse and rapidly changing field, Kent State’s expansive resources like the new Biology facilities and state of the art Liquid Crystal Institute provide opportunities to explore a variety of exciting possibilities.
One of Nitya’s favorite things about Kent State is the wide breadth of cultural diversity she sees around campus. As she explains, “Some universities talk big about their ‘commitment to diversity,’ but Kent is one of the few that actually follows through. There are so many people from different countries, and everyone is so friendly!” She firmly believes that people need to work together to solve the world’s larger problems, and it requires people from different backgrounds bringing together their unique perspectives to unlock these solutions.
As a personable extrovert, Nitya loves to meet new people and get involved in her community. She’s passionate about helping others, and she tries to use her leadership skills to make a positive impact here at Kent State. Nitya currently holds four leadership positions as the President of Centennial Court E/F Hall Council, President of Kent Indian Association, Program Chair of Biotechnology Student Organization, and FYE Student Success Leader, and she’s always looking for more ways to engage meaningfully with others.
When she’s not studying hard or running meetings, Nitya loves to bake. It’s one of her favorite ways to relieve stress and, as a very busy college student, that means she’s always baking. “People are like, ‘please, stop feeding me sugar, it’s too much.’ But I can’t help it! I just love to make sweets.” Nitya is also an avid hiker. She’s been on two long treks, one of which was a six-day journey across the Himalayan mountains that led her face to face with a wild wolf.
Nitya draws inspiration from the hit Bollywood movie Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (YJHD), a 2013 coming-of-age tale about four Indian college students who take a life-changing trek through the Himalayas. She says, “It’s about living life to the fullest; it shows that you have to be courageous and take risks. Get involved on campus, talk to people all the time, show up to every event! Make sure that you are getting everything out of life that you can.” Nitya explains that millions of Indian college students live by the message of this movie—just like she does, and just like you should too.
Article written by Jacob Kulas, Office of Global Education Fall 2019 Intern