Karan Prajapati ’23 is an international student who traveled all the way from India to study at the University of Hartford.
He is majoring in business analytics and managerial economics with a minor in data science. How did the decision to study at the University of Hartford impact him? “UHart has provided me with immense cultural exposure. Apart from the in-class interactions, I have been able to make amazing connections outside of class with students and professors from different ethnic groups, cultures, and countries.”
Extracurricular activities and Project experience
The Barney School of Business gave Prajapati the foundation necessary to enhance his professional skills. “I am a part of seven clubs/organizations and am on the executive board of two clubs. The clubs include Barney Leadership Council, Sports Business Association, Asian Students Association, Q^2 Project, Gamma Iota Sigma, Men’s Club Soccer, and E-Sports.” He distinguishes himself among other students by taking advantage of the extracurricular activities that Barney has to offer. These have provided him with opportunities to grow in confidence and professionalism.
Presently, Prajapati is working on the CVS Healthcare learning project including a case competition, where competitors must develop innovative alternatives specific to the LGBTQ+ community in order to provide them with better access to health care. This experience has been very beneficial to him as an international student. “Being an international student, I had very little knowledge of the U.S. health-care system before the project. Now, I have a better understanding of health care and its five pillars.” He adds that this experience has assisted him as an analytics major, as well. “This project gave me a chance to improve my data extraction skills and to put my analytics skills to practical use via software like Tableau and Excel.”
Credit to professors
Along with this, Prajapati credits professors and events for the opportunities he received. “Most of the professors have incredible corporate experience and connections. They are never hesitant to share them with the students.” As a new student at the University of Hartford, the support and guidance from Assistant Dean John Thomson and Dr. Lofink helped Prajapati manage his overall college experience. He continues, “Many Barney events have helped me enhance my networking skills.”
Summer 2022 intern opportunity
Prajapati was recently delighted to accept the opportunity to intern with APS Technology in Wallingford, Connecticut. Here, he will work closely with the company’s vice president of finance and their junior financial analyst. He will take on experiential learning by working, as the intern job description states, “collaboratively with financial and operations departments [and] providing reports for use in the analysis of operating efficiency.”
What does Prajapati want to share with students to help them make the most of their short academic years? “Barney is full of opportunities and resources. To make the most of your experience, you need to take the initiative. College is more than just good grades and classes.”
Karan Prajapati ’23 , Business Analytics and Managerial Economics Major with a Minor in Data Science, Barney School of BusinessAs an international student, UHart has provided me with immense cultural exposure. Apart from the in-class interactions, I have been able to make amazing connections outside of class with students and professors from different ethnic groups, cultures, and countries. Listening to their stories and perspectives has helped me to understand the importance of embracing the differences among us. I believe I have become a better ‘global citizen’ owing to my experiences at UHart.