“I actually just recently committed to one of my top-choice schools! I will be attending the University of Texas at Austin and majoring in public health under the pre-med track, which very much aligns with my goals in healthcare,” she says.
Regardless of what aspect of medicine that Adya focuses on, she wants to be involved in bringing change and guidance to the American healthcare system and those that regulate it.
“I’m not sure exactly what specialty I’d pursue, but I’m 100-percent sure that, if I become a doctor, I want to work under the Department of Health and Human Services, which is essentially the agency that works really close with the government and regulates the healthcare system for the US,” she says.
The Balancing Act
Adya started the Complete™ Program as a freshman and continued working with KD into her senior year.
“Having instructors who show that they care about motivating you to be successful in whatever you’re preparing for—I absolutely love that part of KD,” she says.
As the eldest child, Adya was the first one going through the current college admissions process. She said she often felt overwhelmed by the college application process because it was new to her and her parents.
“It was very hard to juggle everything with school and my extracurricular activities. And also the whole college application process is not like a standardized test where you study for it, take the test, and get your results. It’s very emotional because you really think about, ‘Will they accept me or not?’” Adya says.
Fall of senior year was a challenging time for Adya as she worked toward college application deadlines along with handling her extracurriculars, schoolwork, and the uncertainty of what would come after high school. She calmed her nerves by watching videos on the internet of older students talking about their college admissions experience and how it all worked out in the end. Their insightful perspective helped her maintain a more optimistic view of the future.
Relief also came from hitting the submit button on the Common App.
“It did feel really great seeing all my work put together in one platform—seeing everything that I did and reassuring myself like, ‘It’s going to be okay. Look at everything you’ve accomplished. If they don’t take you in, then it’s their loss.’ So it was a balance between optimism and then also a little pessimism,” she says.
For other students still wading through the strenuous application process, Adya offers this bit of advice:
“Don’t be afraid to reach out. Don’t be afraid to ask for help… [everyone was] so motivating and encouraging, and I would not be able to do that process without them,” Adya says.
Catching Up On Lost Time
While she patiently waits for her college decision results, Adya hopes to focus on the things in life that bring her the most joy, like going on adventures or spending time with the important people in her life.
“One of my favorite things to do is travel to new places. Because of quarantine, my family didn’t go out a lot. It doesn’t even have to be international—we could go to a local, new cafe or I could just spend time with my family and friends,” Adya says.
Now that the most stressful season of the college admissions process is behind her, Adya plans to call up some friends she hasn’t seen in a while, try a new coffee shop, and catch up on some much needed “me” time.
“I love having that rest time where I can just not think about anything and spend time with my family and friends,” she says.
