Alumni Spotlight
ACHAL KULKARNI
Achal pledged with the Tau class in the Spring of 2020 and served as VPM in 2022. She graduated in spring of 2022 with a Bachelor of Science in Global Business concentrating in International Political Economy, and a minor in Economics.
Upon graduation, she accepted a job with the Asian Pacific Islander Political Alliance in Philadelphia, working to develop the country's largest statewide AAPI direct voter contact program. Through her work, she indirectly worked to help the Shapiro and Fetterman campaigns in Pennsylvania during the 2022 midterm elections.
“Pledging AKPsi was definitely a highlight of my college career. Not only did I make some of my closest friends in the organization, but the skills I learned throughout my whole time as a brother are ones I still use today. If you are contemplating joining AKPsi and trying to find a place for yourself during college, I highly recommend speaking to current and former brothers to learn about their experiences and see if it’s the right place for you! You never learn until you try.”
-Achal Kulkarni
Mahim Nalluri
Mahim pledged in Fall 2019 with Sigma Class, serving as both Vice President of Membership (Upsilon Class) and Master of Rituals (Phi Class) in 2020-21. He was responsible for upholding the chapter’s membership processes through its virtual pandemic era.
After graduating in Spring 2021 with a Bachelor’s in Computer Science, Mahim started as a Software Engineer at Charles Schwab where he focuses primarily on front-end resources such as the company website and account creation processes for customers. He has aspirations to explore different industries in software engineering.
“You learn about yourself and others when you’re interfacing between social and professional aspects within a community. AKPsi gave me this opportunity and enables us as students to pinpoint what is blocking our professional/social growth. From there, it’s up to us to take action.
College is your sandbox to fire on all cylinders and step outside of your comfort zone. If you’re looking to make the most of your time, AKPsi can be a valuable avenue. You’ll undoubtedly make cherished friends along the way. It's these friendships that are the candles that light up your future.”
- Mahim Nalluri
Mayank Nakra
Mayank pledged with the Pi Class in 2018 and held various positions in the chapter, including VPM and Compliance, remaining an active part of the chapter since he crossed over. He interned with JP Morgan in the summer of his junior year and graduated in 2022 with a Bachelors of Science degree in Finance and Economics. After graduating, he accepted an offer from JP Morgan and currently works as a real estate analyst on the risk strategic analytics team.
“AKPsi was a cornerstone of my college career. As an underclassman, I learned so much from people who were willing to help me with every part of my journey. There are a few decisions I can point to that really defined my time in college and rushing AKPsi is one that I am by far the proudest of. I got more than guidance, I found friends and mentors in AKPsi, many of whom I am still in touch with. The organization has been great to me, and I hope to keep giving back after graduating.”
- Mayank Nakra
Sharan Erraguntla
Sharan pledged Alpha Kappa Psi in the Fall 2018 semester as a part of the Pi Class. Throughout her time in AKPsi, she served as the Vice President of Membership, Chapter President, and Chief of Compliance. Sharan graduated in December 2021 and is currently working at Charles Schwab as a Software Engineer. At Schwab, she builds full-stack self-service web applications for clients.
“AKPsi was a truly formative experience for me in undergrad. The pledge process equips you with invaluable skills in networking, resume refinement, and career building. Following the pledge process, you’re able to apply these skills in real-world scenarios through leadership within the chapter. These professional skills, alongside the lifelong friendships formed, makes AKPsi one of a kind.”
- Sharan Erraguntla
Tarun Meruva
Tarun pledged Alpha Kappa Psi as part of the Omicron Class. Having served as the Chief of Compliance and the Vice President of Membership, he graduated in the Spring of 2021 with a B.S in Information Technology and Systems. He currently works at General Motors as a Big Data Infrastructure Engineer while also pursuing a Masters in Analytics from Georgia Tech.
“Alpha Kappa Psi gave me a space that allowed me to recognize and achieve my true potential. I was able to surround myself with valuable friends and mentors from whom I could learn and grow from.”
Tarun cherishes the lifelong relationships he formed while in Alpha Kappa Psi and would enthusiastically recommend pledging to anyone who is eligible.
-Tarun Meruva
Prabu Nandan
Prabu pledged in the Spring of 2018 with the Omicron Class and served as the Vice President of Membership for the Mu Rho chapter in 2020. He graduated in Spring of 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Finance.
Upon graduation, Prabu joined as an Investment Analyst at Prudential Private Capital within their Power and Renewables group in Dallas. During his time at Prudential, his team covered Western US, Latin America, and Australia to deploy capital (private debt and private equity) in renewable and power-related projects. After a year at Prudential, Prabu lateraled to Macquarie Capital, where he currently works as an Investment Banking Analyst in the Infrastructure M&A (Mergers and Acquisitions) group in New York.
“ I can confidently say that pledging for AKPsi was one of the best decisions I made in college. As much of a cliche as it may seem, AKPsi gave me a perfect mix of social and professional aspects which was very instrumental to my growth as a friend, student, employee and person. From a professional perspective, AKPsi provided me with exemplary mentors whom I still ask for advice to this day. Furthermore, it gave me a medium and a chance to lead, make mistakes and learn. From a social perspective, AKPsi gave me life long friends with whom I am still very close to, even after I moved to New York.
If you are reading this as a potential new member, I would urge you to reach out to some active brothers to get their perspectives and to see if you would find this fraternity as helpful as I did.”
- Prabu Nandan
Aman vakharia
Aman, who pledged with the Lambda class of Alpha Kappa Psi, graduated in Spring 2018 with his degree in Finance and Information Technology and Systems. As a Portfolio Risk Analyst at Ally Financial, he got the opportunity to develop his analytical skills and learn about the auto finance industry.
Aman will be returning to the University of Texas at Dallas in the Fall of 2019 to pursue a M.S. in Business Analytics.
“Pledging with AKPsi is so beneficial in so many ways. It’s a chance to develop the person you are into the person you want to become. This isn’t just in a professional context, but also in a social one. Through AKPsi I’ve seen myself generate a very close bond with all my pledge brothers that still stands strong even 4 years later. Pledging AKPsi also molded my professional demeanor and turned me into someone capable of holding their own in a professional setting. Before AKPsi, I had to think twice about how I conveyed myself professionally and how I thought about professional interactions; they’d often intimidate me. After using the guidance AKPsi gave me, however, I had a new sense of confidence and was able to speak professionally without getting nervous or intimidated by the setting.
No other organization could have matched my personal and professional interests more. For that combination of reasons, I would recommend pledging AKPsi to anyone who could benefit from a similar experience.”
-Aman Vakharia
Benjamin Baker
Benjamin pledged in 2016 with the Lambda Pledge Class and served as the President for the Mu Rho chapter in 2017, ultimately graduating in 2019 with his B.S. Accounting degree.
Among his biggest takeaways from his time in the AKPsi come from the lifelong friendships bonds of brotherhood he was able to gain, in addition to the levels of personal and professional development he was able to experience.
Benjamin now works as a Business Analyst at L3Harris Technologies, and further serves Alpha Kappa Psi as the President of the Dallas Alumni Chapter as well as Chapter Advisor for Episilon Eta, of Baylor University.
Would Benjamin recommend pledging Alpha Kappa Psi?
“No.
Just kidding, of course I would recommend it. Alpha Kappa Psi is the kind of organization where the sky truly is the limit. It's a place where you can realize your full potential as a student and a leader - but most importantly it is a place where you can fail. That's how we learn, by understanding our mistakes. I've gotten so much out of this organization because it was a safe place to try new things and learn where I could have improved. This environment really is a unique experience, unlike anything else I've been involved in throughout my college career. Affiliation with Alpha Kappa Psi is one of the best things you can do to kick-start or complement your academic and professional acumen.”-Benjamin Baker
Liz Wood
Liz pledged in the Fall of 2016 with the Mu class and eventually founded the Wood Family of the Mu Rho chapter. She recently graduated with her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Accounting and will now be pursuing a Master’s degree in accounting. In the spring of 2019, Liz worked as an audit intern with KPMG (Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler) in the Downtown Fort Worth Area. During the internship, Liz collaborated with several teams and learned how to create workpapers for different sections of the income statement and balance sheet. Endowed with a lot of responsibility, she got the experience of becoming an active contributor on her team.
“No matter where you are in your college career, I can guarantee that Alpha Kappa Psi will be able to provide some sort of value that no other organization at UT Dallas can. Whether you are looking for a chance to improve as a professional, a way to earn leadership skills, an opportunity to be a mentee/mentor, or a group of friends that will stay with you past college, AKPsi has you covered. I came into college with no intention of joining a social fraternity/sorority, but Alpha Kappa Psi is different--it is the perfect blend of professional and social. While I am no longer an active member of AKPsi, I still reap many benefits by not only having a large alumni group to reach out to for advice and job opportunities, but I can now give back and help young, college professionals in achieving their future goals.”
-Liz Wood
Nousheen Karimi
Nousheen pledged with the Lambda class of Alpha Kappa Psi. Nousheen graduated in 2018 with her degree in International Business and Finance. She also received a sales certification upon her graduation.
Nousheen is currently traveling across the country for training and work with IBM. She believes in constant growth even after college and constantly make effort to learn new things through IBM’s educational tools.
“It gives you the opportunity to meet people outside of your social circle and grow both professionally and personally. You’re working alongside colleagues that have learned the ins and outs of the job market and can be your mentor throughout your college experience.”
-Nousheen Karimi
Vihan Saraf
Vihan, who served as the Vice President of Membership for more than a year, helped several pledges in becoming principled business leaders. Vihan pledged in Spring 2016 with the Lambda class and recently graduated with his Bachelors of Science degree in Finance and Economics. Vihan also cherishes the friends that he made with his pledge brothers.
After graduating, Vihan joined the Prudential Capital group as an investment analyst where he reviews, structures, and executes debt and equity investments for the Dallas Global Renewables Team.
“There are choices in college that you make which define the experience you will have, friends you will make, and memories you will look back in. Invest in and define that future with a truly life-changing organization that pushes you to grow professionally and personally.”
-Vihan Saraf
Yannis Shafi
Yannis pledged with the chapter in Spring 2016 with the Lambda class, and held the Vice President of Public Relations. Yannis will now be pursuing a Master’s degree in accounting as a part of his PPA (Professional Program in Accounting) program.
Yannis remembers all the trips that he took with Alpha Kappa Psi. He remembers traveling to San Francisco, Boston, Conroe and Galveston, where he got the chance to explore these new cities and bond with brothers. From walking around the freezing Boston streets to hanging out at the lake in Conroe, those trips allowed him to forget about the stresses of school and foster the brotherhood outside of UT Dallas.
“For someone who is not looking to join your “typical fraternity” and wanting to improve themselves professionally, then Alpha Kappa Psi is the perfect organization for you. It allowed me to really grow and develop myself, especially at a young age. I was able to get a leg up on my peers and learn more about the professional world outside of the classroom. Additionally, Alpha Kappa Psi provides you with various leadership roles and opportunities for you to excel and add to your resume. Overall, this organization helped get me to where I am today and what you put in is what you get out of it.”
-Yannis Shafi