Honoring the Class of 2020: Sahaana Veeravalli

May 5, 2020 2-min. read

Sahaana Veeravalli with a plaque from Circle K

Leading up to what would have been the Class of 2020’s graduation ceremony, the Division of Academic and Student Affairs is highlighting some of its seniors in Leadership and Civic Engagement.

For this article, we interviewed Sahaana Veeravalli, who is majoring in biochemistry:

What organizations were/are you involved with at NC State?

Leadership and Civic Engagement, Best Buddies, and Circle K International

Sahaana Veeravalli (left) and her peers from Leadership and Civic Engagement

What is the most impactful leadership experience you had at NC State and why?

The most impactful leadership experiences I have had at NC State have stemmed from my involvement with Leadership and Civic engagement. Throughout my time as an intern, I learned that everyone has the capacity to be a leader, and I pushed myself to find opportunities that would allow me to cultivate my leadership skills. I attended LeaderShape the summer after sophomore year, and I learned to have a healthy disregard for the impossible. Then, I returned to LeaderShape as an on-site coordinator the following year, and I was fortunate enough to witness other students have the same realizations and epiphanies that I had.

Sahaana Veeravalli and her peers at LeaderShape

What would you say is your lasting impact on NC State?

During the fall of 2018, I was part of a group of eight students that chartered a chapter of Best Buddies at NC State. Our organization fosters long-term friendships between students and individuals of our community who have an intellectual or developmental disability. I believe that the commitment to inclusion that every member of Best Buddies embodies will leave a lasting impact on NC State.