On her experience as a 2020 graduate, her interest in healthcare and advice for future MEng students and graduates.
Juhi Nandwani graduated from the Berkeley MEng program in 2020 with a degree in Nuclear Engineering. Previously, Juhi has discussed her passion for radiation oncology, and her experiences as an MEng student. Here, she shares about her experience graduating in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and some advice for future MEng students and graduates.
“The paperwork, applications, and patience were worth it for all the love and affection that I received from my family.”What have you been up to since moving to LA? (jobs, volunteering, etc?) What lessons have you learned from these experiences? I moved to LA in early 2021. At Monti Kids (a Montessori subscription-based toy company where I currently work), I internally transitioned from Executive Administration to Data and Operations. I’ve been focused on not only learning from my direct supervisors and colleagues and enhancing my skills but also on building my network by continuing to reach out to industry experts on LinkedIn, including members of my MEng cohort. I’ve also been mentoring current MEng students, and I want to take this opportunity to encourage alumni to share their expertise with the current MEng cohort by signing up for the FI Industry Mentorship Initiative. It’s truly an amazing opportunity for us to form bonds with brilliant individuals while guiding them through the MEng program and job search. The main lesson I’ve learned is to persevere, especially when it comes to networking. I know. It can be draining. Many times we send hundreds of LinkedIn messages and only get two responses. It gets frustrating. Many of the opportunities that I have come across have all been thanks to networking. I also met many of my best friends through networking! I encourage you to keep trying. I promise you, it’s worth it. How have your experiences post-graduation informed your career ambitions? Has anything changed for you since your last feature? Working in industry has allowed me to do a lot of self-reflection. I always thought I knew exactly what job title I wanted to apply for. After working at a startup, I realized that job titles are not always indicative of the range of roles and responsibilities that come with it. I was once packing a large pallet of charitable toy donations with shrink wrap right before attending a meeting with the CEO to review finance reports. What one company requires a Project Manager to do is not identical to what another company requires; in fact, they are almost always super different. I have reflected and solidified what type of tasks I would like to perform on a day-to-day basis and what overarching impact I would like my work to have. Since my last feature, I have explored different roles which led me to work in analytics and operations. In my previous feature, I spoke about working to provide my country with cancer care by facilitating connections with healthcare facilities in the United States and establishing a fund specifically for this cause. This still remains my long-term career goal, and I hope to accomplish this sooner rather than later. What kind of impact do you want to have on the world? I was raised by two parents who had little access to education. They knew no English when they moved to Belize, so speaking with healthcare providers was not only expensive and unaffordable, but it was also difficult. I didn’t grow up learning concepts that may be considered basic knowledge — that brushing your teeth twice a day keeps cavities away, that playing in muddy water can cause diseases, and that health checks should be performed routinely. This lack of knowledge resulted in myself and most of my family developing chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. I lost my dearest uncle who was a father to me to a heart attack at age 52. This is what initially sparked my interest in healthcare — the fact that it is still inaccessible for many. Specifically, I hope to someday have this impact on Belize, my home country, where the health sector is still underdeveloped. My immediate career goals are to join a passionate and diverse team that is committed to improving digital health and health technologies with an overarching goal to make healthcare more affordable and accessible. I hope to soon work in Digital Health Operations and Analytics.
“I believe that we enter our cocoons on graduation day. We start to develop and flourish after.”Many people believe that when we are in school, we are in our cocoons and on graduation day, we blossom into butterflies. I have a different mindset. I believe that we enter our cocoons on graduation day. We start to develop and flourish after. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t land your dream job right after graduation. Life has a way of forming a path on which we learn the necessary skills that we need for our dream opportunity. Many present opportunities prepare us for future roles and positions that we dream of. Just keep swimming! Favorite quote? “A chance is like a picture. It’d be nice if you just take it”. — Drake Connect with Juhi. Edited by Danielle Valdez.
Juhi Nandwani, MEng ’20 (NE): “We enter our cocoons on graduation day” was originally published in Berkeley Master of Engineering on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.