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    NORTH AMERICAN Newsline                                                   JULY 03, 2026    |  The Indian Eye 26

             GOPIO-Manhattan Organizes College and Beyond

                      Panel Discussion for High School Students

            OUR BUREAU                                                                                            sionals.
                                                                                                                      Next speaker, Shashank Sham-
            Manhattan, NY
                                                                                                                  shabad, a graduate of NYU with
                  he Global Organization of                                                                       experience in Urban Policy and spe-
                  People  of  Indian  Origin  (GO-                                                                cialized in Technology, Media, and
            TPIO) Manhattan Chapter suc-                                                                          Communications, served as a Com-
            cessfully hosted its highly anticipated                                                               munity Liaison in the New York City
            “College and Beyond” Panel Discus-                                                                    Council, a College Legislative Aide
            sion on Sunday, June 7, 2026, from                                                                    in the Mayor’s Office of Intergovern-
            1:00 PM to 4:00 PM at the Bharatiya                                                                   mental Affairs, and as an intern in the
            Vidya Bhavan, New York. The event                                                                     U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Rep-
            brought together students, parents,                                                                   resentatives. Shashank encouraged
            educators, young professionals, com-                                                                  students to embrace challenges and
            munity leaders, and guests for an en-                                                                 remain resilient in the face of setbacks.
            gaging afternoon of learning, mentor-                                                                 He shared that obstacles and failures
            ship, and career guidance.                                                                            are often valuable learning experienc-
                The  program  was designed  to                                                                    es that contribute to future success.
            help students and young profession-                                                                      Touro College medical student
            als navigate the evolving landscape  Prof. Vangapaty emphasized the im- that resonated strongly with the audi- Vinisha Patel believes the work of be-
            of higher education, career planning,  portance of preparing students not  ence.                      coming a physician begins long before
            internships, leadership development,  only for college admissions but also   Prof.  Rajasekhar  Vangapaty  the clinic. As Chapter President of the
            networking, and professional success.  for long-term success in their careers   (Moderator) emphasized the impor- Student Osteopathic Medical Associ-
            The  event received  an overwhelm- and personal lives.              tance of lifelong learning, adaptability,  ation, she took that conviction to Cap-
            ing response from the community,      Throughout the panel discussion,  and building meaningful professional   itol Hill at DO Day 2026.
            with attendees actively participating   speakers shared their personal jour- networks. He encouraged students to   Dr. Sonia Sharma, with over 20
            throughout the session.           neys, challenges, lessons learned, and   remain curious, embrace new technol- years of university-level teaching ex-
                GOPIO Manhattan was honored   professional experiences. The con- ogies, seek mentors, and continuously  perience, has taught Hindi as a second
            to welcome an accomplished panel of  versation covered a broad range of  develop new skills throughout their  and foreign language at renowned
            professionals representing diverse in- topics including selecting college ma-  careers.               institutions. She highlighted the im-
            dustries and career paths. The panel   jors, adapting to changing job markets,   Mihir Sanghavi, senior engineer-  portance of balancing professional
            featured the following persons: Mihir  developing leadership skills, securing  ing leader specializing in AI, shared   achievement with personal well-being.
            Sanghavi, a senior engineering leader  internships, building professional net- his experience across finance, cyberse- She encouraged students to prioritize
            specializing in AI, machine learning,  works, embracing emerging technol-  curity, and enterprise technology high- mental health, maintain a healthy
            and large-scale software systems; Bri- ogies including Artificial Intelligence,  lighted that success is built on consis- work-life  balance,  and  invest  in  per-
            an Thomas, a Junior at New York Uni- and maintaining personal well-being  tency, discipline, and perseverance.  sonal development.
            versity Stren Schol of Business; Sha- while pursuing ambitious goals.  He advised students to focus on con-  The panelists collectively empha-
            shank Shamshabad, a public servant    One of the highlights of the   tinuous improvement and long-term   sized that career success is not defined
            and recent graduate of Columbia Uni- event was the highly interactive ques- growth rather than seeking immediate   by a single achievement, degree, or job
            versity’s School of International and   tion-and-answer session. Students and   results.              title. Rather, success is built through
            Public Affairs (MPA); Vinisha Patel, a   parents asked thoughtful questions   NYU Stern School of Business   continuous learning, resilience, adapt-
            second-year medical student at Touro   regarding college admissions, career  Junior Brian Thomas stressed the  ability,  meaningful  relationships,
            College of Osteopathic Medicine; and   transitions, entrepreneurship, intern- importance of communication, team-  strong character, and a commitment
            Dr. Sonia Sharma, distinguished Hin-  ship opportunities, graduate educa- work, and relationship-building. He   to lifelong growth.
            di language educator, scholar, author,  tion, workplace expectations, and   reminded young professionals that   Attendees expressed apprecia-
            and pioneer in Hindi language educa-  professional growth. The panelists   technical skills are important, but  tion for the practical insights, candid
            tion in the United States.        provided practical advice, real-world   strong interpersonal skills often dis- discussions, and mentorship provided
                The discussion was skillfully mod- examples, and actionable strategies   tinguish successful leaders and profes- by the panelists. Many students noted
            erated by Prof. Rajasekhar Vangapaty,                                                                 that the event helped clarify their aca-
            President of GOPIO Manhattan, Pro-                                                                    demic and career goals while provid-
            fessor at the Fashion Institute of Tech-                                                              ing inspiration and confidence for the
            nology (FIT), SUNY, and a dedicated                                                                   future.
            educator and community leader.                                                                            GOPIO Manhattan extends its
                The event opened with a warm                                                                      sincere gratitude to all panelists, at-
            welcome by GOPIO-Manhattan Vice                                                                       tendees,  volunteers,  sponsors,  and
            President Vimal Goyle to attend-                                                                      community supporters who contrib-
            ees and an introduction to GOPIO                                                                      uted to the success of this event. Spe-
            Manhattan’s mission of empowering                                                                     cial thanks are extended to Bharatiya
            the community through education,                                                                      Vidya Bhavan for hosting the program
            leadership development, profession-                                                                   and providing an excellent venue for
            al networking, and service. President                                                                 community engagement and learning.

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