Shreya Dandu ’24 Builds a Global Community of Support
Shreya Dandu ’24 (BBA) experienced college much differently than many other 2024 graduates. From starting at the University of San Diego while living in the south of India over 8,000 miles away, to eventually building her own community all over the globe, Shreya reflects on the struggles she faced adjusting to life back in the United States, and how she found support in order to graduate successfully with her degrees in both finance and psychology this May.
Finding Her Way
Shreya Dandu was born and raised in Irvine, California up until about eight years old, when her family made the decision to move to Hyderabad, India to be closer to relatives and allow Shreya and her siblings to experience the full nature of their culture.
With colleges in mind, Shreya and her parents worked together to narrow down her path during her last year of high school. She kept an open mind when applying, not wanting to limit her options and possibilities. After receiving all her responses, she had a top three: Notre Dame, UC Santa Barbara and USD.
“My dad was really excited about the opportunity of me going to Notre Dame because it’s such a big name college, but my mom really provided a holistic picture for me and ended up selling me on USD.” Shreya smiles as she recalls the conversation, “She knew I would thrive in a more personalized classroom setting where I could grow through strong relationships with professors and a tight knit community.”
Along with the beautiful San Diego weather, the close community of Toreros and small class sizes is truly what sold Shreya on USD. “I remember once visiting my friend at her large state college and sitting in a class with hundreds of students. I just knew it wasn’t for me.”
Nocturnal Challenges
Shreya started her first year at USD virtually just as COVID was peaking in 2020. Starting college virtually was stressful for everyone, students and professors alike, but Shreya had an added layer of difficulty: she was still in India.
“It was so challenging, I was up at 2 a.m. to be online for classes,” Shreya lamented, “but the professors were incredibly helpful and made the experience worth it.”
Along with the ability to spend one more year with friends and family in India, Shreya found that the support she received from professors truly helped her survive a virtual year abroad. “My Intro to World Religions professor had us do a role play for a class once, and he actually sent costumes to India for me to participate.”
Although she felt connected to her professors, she struggled to meet new friends and build connections. Feeling behind in this aspect, she knew that once she got to campus her first goal would be to start making friends and finding a community.
Transitioning to Life in America
Starting her on campus experience as a sophomore was a difficulty in itself, not only because she never got the usual welcome and orientation that first year students receive, but also because she was transitioning from the community-based culture in India to the hustle-and-bustle of the United States.
“The biggest shocker was the culture in general. India is much more driven by collectivism and support, and the U.S. is more ‘go-go-go’ while being responsible for yourself.”
Shreya recalled feeling grateful to gain a sense of independence when moving back to the U.S., but also knew that in order to transition successfully she would need to build a support system like the one she had in India.
To help settle on campus and build friendships, Shreya became a scholastic assistant, which are older peers who assist first year students in adjusting to college. “It was nice because it allowed me to move onto campus earlier, but it was an interesting position to be in. Since I didn’t have my own first year on campus, a lot of it was us learning things together which was actually nice.”
She also participated in Associate Student Government (ASG), the Phi Chi Theta (PCT) Business Fraternity and joined Women In Business (WIB) the very first year it started. In WIB she grew from member to serving as VP of finance and eventually becoming president.
While in WIB, Shreya met her soon to be mentor and number one supporter, April Cash, a student professional development manager at Knauss. During her time at USD, she adjusted majors, traveled abroad and obtained multiple internships all with the guidance and support of April every step of the way.
April also suggested she apply for a financial advising internship the summer before going abroad to see if it was the right fit for her. She completed the internship and decided that she loved finance and wanted to continue to explore potential careers within that industry.
Staying Connected Abroad
The first semester of her junior year, Shreya left for Spain and attended school at USD’s Madrid Center. “My best friend and I lived with a host family which was awesome because we really felt immersed in the culture.”
Shreya loved her time abroad so much, the next year she left again, this time for Rome to do a John Cabot University program. “It was amazing because it allowed us to build lifelong friendships and professional relationships with students from all over the United States who were also studying abroad.”
While traveling, Shreya kept in touch with April and mentioned wanting to try new financial internships to see which felt right to her. She and April would often do mock interviews over Zoom and review her resume to set her up for success. “April was truly my rock during the college experience. Not only did she guide me professionally, but she helped me grow as an individual and was someone I could really rely on.”
Shreya was accepted for an internship at JP Morgan the summer before her senior year and truly felt like she was on the right path to figuring out who she wanted to be. “I got a ton of opportunities to network around the office and I realized it was the type of work I could easily see myself doing.”
At the end of the summer she got a return offer to do a 2.5 year rotation at JP Morgan in middle-market banking. The rotation will allow her to remain flexible, gaining experience in credit, treasury and banking before making a final decision on which role she would like to do long-term.
Reflecting on her mother’s advice when choosing a college, Shreya can safely say that she was able to thrive, due to the tight knit community she found at USD.
– Jessica Applonie