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Ananya Murali Class of 2020
ANANYA MURALI ’20
Physician-Scientist Program
Joseph V. Landau Scholarship Recipient

September 2017

In my junior year of high school, I won the Rensselaer Medal, which honors student achievement in math and science. Winning the medal did two things. First, it made me aware of Rensselaer in general. Second, it made me aware that Rensselaer would support my study of math and science. It really inspired me to take charge of my future and continue on the path I set for myself, which was to become a doctor.

Winning the Rensselaer Medal also inspired me to continue giving back to the community, which is Winning the Rensselaer Medal also inspired me to continue giving back to the community, which is something I’ve been doing since joining the Girl Scouts when I was five. One way I’m doing that is by participating in the Women at Rensselaer Mentor Program, which pair’s upper-class women with first-year students to help them get acclimated to life at Rensselaer. It impressed me that Rensselaer recognized the need for this program, given how male-dominate a lot of science and technology disciplines can be. As a first-year student, my mentor—and simply being part of such a strong group of women—had a huge impact on my success. Now it’s my turn to be a mentor and help empower the young women coming to Rensselaer after me.

“The donors who endowed my scholarship did so because they believed in the power of a Rensselaer education to change students’ lives. Rensselaer gave that scholarship to me because they believed in my ability to use my education to change the lives of others. That faith—the donors’ faith in Rensselaer and Rensselaer’s faith in me—gives me faith in myself. That’s the power of a scholarship. That’s the power of the Transformative Campaign.”