Honors Program Student Spotlight: Krupa Bharodiya

This month, Honors Program student and Obama-Chesky Voyager Scholarship for Public Service recipient Krupa Bharodiya graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing and minors in Environmental Science and Political Science.

Throughout her time at NC State, Bharodiya constantly engaged in activities to better herself and the world around her. Her lasting contributions to the University Honors Program (UHP) will undoubtedly remain a pillar of inspiration to the community. 

As a Voyager Scholar, Bharodiya is part of the inaugural cohort of 100 college juniors and seniors from across the nation who intend to pursue a career in public service. As part of this remarkable program, she receives access to a network of leaders, a summer work-study stipend and Airbnb housing. The scholarship also includes up to $50,000 in scholarship awards and 10 years’ of Airbnb credits to further her horizons and develop her career in public service.

During her time in the UHP, Bharodiya was a light for her peers who focused on facilitating overall well-being, community, and empathy for others. During her senior year, she utilized her position as an Honors Fellow to reach a broader audience while teaching her own 1-credit hour course, “The Adventure of Wellbeing”.

When she began teaching her course, Bharodiya was initially nervous that her peers would drop the course or dislike it. However, she soon learned that she had the power to inspire and uplift others: “I was so nervous on day one, I thought they were going to drop my class. It surprised me that students took it very seriously. They actually liked the course materials I had spent the summer getting together. I was very surprised.”

Teaching is nothing new for Bharodiya, who found a passion for non-profit work and education while teaching English in Vietnam during the summer of 2023. 

“I knew that I always had a passion for the education aspects of equity, but teaching? Not so much. That experience of teaching my own class and teaching what I felt like students needed led me to apply for and become an alternate for a Fulbright English Teaching Experience.”

Bharodiya has always possessed an inner passion for helping others. This passion is undoubtedly seen in her years of service as an Honors Fellow, where she continuously strove to include first and second year students and strengthen connections within the UHP community. 

While focusing on developing community, Bharodiya’s work ethic and commitment to bettering herself never wavered. Through various internships, study abroad opportunities, and an interdisciplinary degree program, she was able to begin a journey toward public service that would allow her to continue uplifting communities. In her own words: “I’ve always wanted to do something in public service and would ideally like to end up working for a human rights non-profit.”

In 2023, Bharodiya turned this dream into action while interning in Washington, D.C. at the US Department of State. There she had the opportunity to contribute to the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.

“I worked in intergovernmental affairs and public engagement. In that role, I got to sit in on a lot of meetings, conduct research, write communications, and learn more about human trafficking and forced labor. I got to help write the Trafficking in Persons Report which gave me insight on all the moving parts in creating something of that caliber.”

Bharodiya attributes her comfort and readiness to move to the Nation’s Capital to the UHP’s first Career Connections trip to Washington D.C., in which she participated in 2021. She returned to D.C. for an internship at the Executive Office of The President in summer of 2022. 

Expanding her horizons and worldview is always front of mind for Bharodiya, who studied abroad in Denmark in the spring of her sophomore year.

Studying abroad provided Bharodiya with the opportunity to meet new people, experience new cultures and travel to 13 countries. When asked how this experience affected her, she responded: “It completely changed my worldview. It was my first time leaving home for that long. It’s extremely important to have an international experience when you’re an undergraduate and that’s something we need to be investing in for underrepresented groups.”

Investing in underrepresented youth significantly enhances their access to vital resources for a comprehensive education. For Bharodiya, much of this essential support was provided by TRIO, a government-funded initiative designed to offer academic, personal, and career support to students from under-resourced backgrounds.

As Bharodiya continues to venture into a remarkable career in public service, the UHP will be cheering her on every step of the way. Bharodiya has consistently challenged herself to experience personal growth and change the lives of others in the process. 

Bharodiya made such a difference in the Honors community, in fact, that she was one of three students to receive the UHP’s Alex Miller Outstanding Student Award during the Honors and Scholars Programs’ senior recognition ceremonies this semester.

The Miller Award recognizes select graduating program participants who have exhibited a significant commitment to the University Honors Program and its students – who have had a real impact on the program and left it better than they found it.

When asked what advice she would pass on to current students, Bharodiya spoke of courageously pursuing goals. Her advice is: “I think that they need to just go for things and see what happens. If something doesn’t work out, remember that the world won’t end. It’s easier said than done but simply put: believe in yourself.”