Anisha Manvatkar
Today, as we begin our new roles as alums of UT Dallas, let’s never forget how this place shaped us. The spirit of giving back that will drive us for the rest of our lives was honed right here.
– Anisha Manvatkar
Thank you, Dean Pirkul, Associate Dean Powell and the Jindal School faculty who are here celebrating with us.
We all have stories. We all asked ourselves this question: “What do I want to become when I grow up?” The answer to that question brought us to UTD. Sitting at home, back in India, I vividly remember the day my answer surprised me. I had decided to return to school to pursue my master’s degree after having worked for five years. I had butterflies enacting on that answer. But I am so glad that I committed to it and landed here to experience this beautiful world that we call UT Dallas. It became a second home very quickly. I made many long-lasting friendships, innumerable memories and found great mentors. It’s not just the education in the classrooms, but also the education outside the classroom that happens through hanging out with fellow classmates, meeting industry speakers, organizing various events with our team members from the clubs we served on and led — the list could go on. It would be unfair to not mention the beautiful UT Dallas campus that fosters positivity and creativity and is a pool for enormous talent.
Today, yet again, we find ourselves at this crossroads where we have to ask ourselves: “What do I want to become when I grow up?” Some of us may have lined up jobs, some may want to further their academic pursuits and some may be traveling to faraway lands to take a break. But whatever it is, we are ready for it. Because what UTD has done, apart from providing us an education, is instill the mindset to manifest our dreams and be the leaders we want in our lives. We will go on to our next ventures with a network of friends, faculty members and alumni that we can always rely on and be there in return as needed. Let us be the beacons of hope and leadership in whatever we decide to pursue. I am sure we will strive to make this world a better place. Let’s start our next journey with these values, and let’s make this graduating class proud of us.
I cannot end this speech without saying thank you to all my mentors, my mom, my dad and my brother, Rohan, for being my constant cheerleaders in making this happen. I am sure we all have family, mentors, faculty, staff, friends, guides, peers and many other people to thank. UT Dallas has given us the foundation to build successful careers, a strong sense of belonging and relationships that will last forever. Today, as we begin our new roles as alums of UT Dallas, let’s never forget how this place shaped us. The spirit of giving back that will drive us for the rest of our lives was honed right here. We came here for an education and ended up getting a life we cannot imagine elsewhere.
Once again, a hearty congratulations to all my fellow Comets! Let’s all Whoosh into the future, at the speed of bright!
Anisha Manvatkar came to UT Dallas from Mumbai, India. She previously earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in commerce and worked for five years as an SAP consultant in India. Today, she is graduating summa cum laude with a master’s degree in information technology and management. Besides working as a full-time intern for the past eight months at SAP America, she was the president of the ITM Student Leadership Council, president of the Project Management Club and an advisor for the Product League club. She was a student representative on the JSOM IT Committee and was nominated for an OWLIE Award in spring 2023. After graduation, she plans to continue her career in the IT management industry.