Ujwal Sandeep Shah

My dear friends at UT Dallas, I feel honored for the opportunity to be your commencement speaker. I would love to share how UTD has been the potter’s wheel in our life.

So, let me start by greeting everyone:

• Hello friends! (English)
• Hola amigos (Spanish)
• Habari marafiki! (Swahili)
• नमस्कार मित्रो (Hindi)
• Hello dosto (Urdu)
• Halo snēhitulu (Telugu)
• 大家好 (Dàjiā hǎo) (Mandarin)
• হ্যালো বন্ধুরা (Hyālō bandhurā) (Bangla)
• Salam dostan (Persian)
• 皆さん、こんにちは (Minasan, kon’nichiwa) (Japanese)

Confused? But this is how we say the greeting, “Hello friends,” in the top 10 languages at UTD. Yeah! You just heard UTD’s diversity aloud.

Let me share a story with you all. I was born and brought up in the bustling city of Mumbai, India, the birthplace of Bollywood. Bollywood is the largest global film industry. A typical Bollywood movie includes drama, emotions, action and songs at every 15-minute interval. I believe everyone’s life is like a Bollywood movie.

Don’t trust me? Let me describe my movie to you all. Lights! Camera! Action!

The plot starts with time travel back to early 2022. I submit my college applications and await the results. Life is pleasant, like the Bollywood movie romantic songs playing in the background (humming a romantic song). At this moment, I am waiting for the love of my life — my dream school.

On April 11, 2022, I receive an email stating: Graduate School Decision. (tudum) My family checks the results, and they say with a muffled voice, “Beta Ujwal, you aren’t selected.” A sad song plays in the background. I feel dejected, disappointed and I’m starting to doubt my potential.

We can all relate whenever we face any rejection in our life. But as it is said, “Picture toh abhi bakhi hai mere dost,” which translates to, “My friends, the movie is not over yet.”

The next day, on April 12, at 2:45 p.m., I received another email stating Graduate School Decision. Again, the same drama starts. This time, my family is all smiling and cheerful. I finally sensed my “yeah” moment. They say, “Beta Ujwal, you are going to The University of Texas at Dallas!” That moment is still immersed in my memory to the very core, and I will never forget the pride in my parents’ eyes.

Again, romantic songs play in the background. The love interest has finally said yes! I travel to UT Dallas for the MS computer science program.

Guess what? This is only the prequel.

In part two, we integrate at UT Dallas and begin our educational journeys. We experience various events on campus that are not only related to my culture but also inclusive of everyone. We all together began to celebrate Black History Month, Lunar New Year, Ramadan, Eid, Holi, Navratri, Diwali, Christmas and more. We become culturally diverse at UTD.

Let’s make it more interactive. Now, to identify as a Comet, you should have done at least one of the following things. If you have, then say loudly and proudly, “I am a Comet.”

So, for example, if you’ve ever been to the Comet Card Office, then say, “I am a Comet.”

• If you have entered the library, but forgot your Comet Card at home…
• If you ate free food from the Student Union because your friend works there…
• If you ever had a love-at-first-sight at UTD…
• If you ever looked at “Rate My Professors” and “UTD Grades”…
• If you ever disturbed the TA just one hour before the homework submission…

Thanks, y’all. You are truly Comets.

Comets, there are some really difficult things at UTD. With around 30,000 students, feeling lonely is a bit difficult. Having students from more than 100 countries and feeling homesick is hard. With around 148 academic programs, not being able to find the correct academic to support your passion is impossible. With over 400 campus organizations, finding a hobby which doesn’t have a club is a challenging task.

You guys thought I was being serious? No, I was just being sarcastic.

Do you know the secret sauce to UTD’s success? It’s you — the world-famous Comets. We make this a great university. We make the world realize the power of inclusion. We show the world the power of unity in diversity.

Everyone that graduates today will be a proud alumnus of this great University. I would request everyone to return to our alma mater one day. UTD has given us a jetpack boost to our careers, impacting both our professional and personal growth. Thus, in this way, UTD has been a potter’s wheel in our life and has provided us with countless opportunities.

Thank you very much everyone for your presence. I wish everyone a happy and successful graduation.

Ujwal Sandeep Shah, signing off!

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Ujwal Sandeep Shah is from Mumbai, India, and will graduate with a master’s in computer science, specializing in data science. Shah previously achieved the highest honors as a gold medalist and valedictorian while earning a bachelor’s degree in data science. He was also a Grace Hopper Celebration 2023 scholar, where he represented UTD among 30,000 international peers. His passion for learning and innovation led him to receive the Advanced Level award — an accolade bestowed by Jonsson School Career Services — for his outstanding contributions to campus life and professional activities. As an active member of the McDermott Student Advisory Group (MSAG), Shah played a pivotal role in shaping decisions at the McDermott Library. His impact extended to over 10,000 students who visited the library. During his academic journey, Shah also gained practical experience through internships at Tata Consultancy Services and Tech Mahindra. He proudly served UTD’s Office of Information Technology (OIT) as a student worker for a year and a half.  Shah has contributed to the fields of data science and data security with publications in peer-reviewed journals such as Wiley and the International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology. He enjoys writing blogs, as well as watching Bollywood films. He eagerly embraces the opportunity to immerse himself in cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) research and development as he transitions from student worker to a full-time AI engineer at OIT after graduation.