Helping Students Stand on Their Own Feet

Four projects to serve and inspire students at Aditya College of Engineering & Technology

By La Selene Dommu, Aditya College of Engineering and Technology; University Innovation Fellow

“We want that education by which character is formed, strength of mind is increased, the intellect is expanded, and by which one can stand on one’s own feet.” ~Swami Vivekananda

Education, in its real sense, is the pursuit of truth. It is an endless journey through knowledge and enlightenment. It empowers and prepares us to face the challenges of life more efficiently. Different students have different capabilities and perspectives in problem solving. To bring such qualities of students into the limelight, the UI Fellows of Aditya College of Engineering and Technology came together to create a few initiatives in our school ecosystem.

For the students interested in innovation and who want to use ethical business practices to make an impact in society, we kicked off an incubator called “Entrevation” — the amalgamation of “entrepreneurship” and innovation.” The mission is to instill the passion and spirit among students and help them stand on their feet. Entrepreneurship has the ability to improve standards of living and create wealth, not only for the entrepreneurs, but also for related businesses. Entrevation will help students learn about pilot projects which prove the viability of a project idea. Such an incubator can assist with the resources, equipment needed for the budding entrepreneurs to bring the idea to implementation. Entrepreneurs also help drive change with innovation, where new and improved products enable new markets to be developed. Fortunately, we also have the aid from the entrepreneurs, who are now the alumni of our school. Entrevation helped as a platform to let students know about their journey, learn from their experiences and get guidance in this pathway. Such vibrant interactive sessions makes students get acquainted with the culture of entrepreneurship.

For the students who want to make a career in arts apart from being a student of engineering, we created a club called “Navadhara.” The aim is to encourage students’ interest and participation in the arts through performance and literature. Navadhara encourages students with an interest in performative fields either as on-stage or off-stage contributors. The club is a venue for exploration and the exchange of ideas amongst students who share a common interest. Students who enjoy all aspects of the performing arts are encouraged to learn the skills and rehearse for each spectacular show. It also aims to broaden the intellectual horizons, by promoting thoughtful reading, writing, discussion and brainstorming sessions. Such a platform can help students to learn valuable skills such as creating content and public relations, and it allows them to express themselves while enlightening their peers.

Our team also introduced College Radio, an instructional medium that can redefine the learning experience, have integrative effects, trigger active participation, enhance educational activities and maximize community engagement. We came up with JAM talks, Talent of the Week, Advice of the Day, events coverage like Seminars, Workshops, Placements, Sports, News updates. College Radio is limited to our campus with a target community of undergraduate students, teachers, and administrative staff. It empowers students to add their voices and opinions to the airwaves; connects listeners to new ideas and artists; fosters creativity; and serves as a platform to learn and appreciate the process of creation and be the voice of the student community.

To help students with their personal, educational and career goals, we came up with an app called “AlFaSt” that connects Alumni, Faculty and Students. Proper counseling will help students incorporate valuable lessons in their daily life and prepare them for their careers after school in whatever fields they opt for. The interaction with the alumni lets the students know what to do and what not to do at each stage of college life. The AlFaSt app allows students to post their queries regarding career vision, check out latest posts on trends in technology, news feed of industry, job and internship opportunities. Answering the queries can go into a chain of discussion in thread. All such features could be brought under a roof to provide a pathway to students, in the form of the best and handy way of an Application, where it can be deployed and maintained. The impact of such an application depends on to what extent the students can utilize an opportunity, and time to connect and interact with the world out of college. The more is the exposure to applicative knowledge, the more they are exposed to learn and achieve.

The impact on students’ lives makes it worth all the efforts that we put as a team in bringing about a change. To see students get a helping hand in achieving their dreams and being a part of their accomplishments that they conquer is the greatest thing that one can get being a Fellow, because #WeBelieveStudentsCanChangeTheWorld.