Supriya Marwaha
Supriya Marwaha, a California native, arrived at Georgia State University with a clear goal in mind: Build meaningful connections. As she advances into her junior year, she attributes many of her achievements to the invaluable support and guidance she has received from the Honors College and the mentorships she has been fortunate to experience. Here’s her story.
Interview by Jordan Ferguson
How did you get to Georgia State?
I grew up in California but moved to a suburb about 30 miles south of the university five years ago. When I was looking for colleges, Georgia State wasn’t necessarily on my radar. However, the Honors College piqued my interest because I was a really big fan of the one-on-one attention they showed me. That was one factor that pushed me to choose Georgia State — having an admissions counselor whom I felt I could talk to and whom I felt was there for me in any capacity. The reason I’ve exceeded my goals here is because of the support that I’ve had around me.
Another factor in my decision to attend Georgia State was that, as a business major, I would be in the middle of the city, around a bunch of different companies and all their operations.
What activities are you involved in on campus?
I am co-president of two organizations at Georgia State: the Honors Service Initiative and the Women’s Global Empowerment Fund.
The Honors Service Initiative, which I also co-founded, helps Honors College students become more civic-minded, find on- and off-campus opportunities and increase their networking capacity.
The Women’s Global Empowerment Fund at Georgia State University is, essentially, part of the wider Women’s Global Empowerment Fund network. We work to increase women’s empowerment but also to increase awareness and funds for women in Uganda.
I am also part of the Commercial Real Estate Group, which is a financial networking sector of the J. Mack Robinson College of Business. I’m not a real estate major, but by joining this group I had the opportunity to meet and speak to people with different majors, and that really inspired me to shoot for the stars. Those new contacts guided me and gave me mentorship and support. As a first-year student, it was a little scary to jump into the group, but when I joined I immediately felt supported and knew it was a great networking opportunity.
As an international finance major and international business minor, what is your plan for the future?
Coming to Georgia State, I knew I wanted to do business. In fact, I had very high aspirations to run a business. I initially came in as a marketing major because I was unsure about the exact path I wanted to take. Then, through the Honors College and with the help of Dean Sarah Cook, I got the opportunity to go to London and intern with PwC UK. I gained exposure to the corporate world and experience being in another country, which was important since I’d never traveled internationally before.
I loved the crisis management work I did at PwC UK. I love solving problems, even if they are hectic, and ultimately coming to a solution best suited for all the parties involved. My London experience solidified my interest in business. I chose the finance major because it gave me a more tangible aspect of business. I enjoy the fact that there is a certain answer that I will get and it also allows me to touch base on all of the main sectors of business.
The addition of my international business minor is fairly recent. I just got a job that works with China and other countries. I knew it would benefit me in my job to learn more about how business relations are conducted and how other economies operate internationally.
Shift your mindset back to your senior year of high school. Drawing from everything you’ve learned and experienced so far at Georgia State, what advice would you give your former self or someone like you?
Start early. I know going into your first year is very fun and overwhelming, but I felt like I got a head start by jumping in and getting involved with the university early on. When I got into the Honors College, they held an induction ceremony where all new people could come and get sworn in to the Honors College. It’s a nice gathering where you get to network with staff members in the Honors College. I started talking to as many people as I could, and one of the people I connected with turned out to be my future boss in the Honors College. She knew me because I had told her at that first meeting that I wanted to get more involved with Honors and I wanted to seize all the opportunities I could get. That led me to my first job. From there, I continued to network within the Honors College and became well-known. That helped me land my internship in London.
I’d also say don’t be afraid to get to know other people. I know it’s a little scary when you’re talking to a senior who already knows what they want to do and has a full-time job waiting for them, but it’s also exciting to see that that could be you one day. Remember, their mentorship could really benefit you.
