Sanjana Mitra, Class of '25

My motivation for applying for HUVTSP was my continuing desire to learn more about the use of technology, particularly artificial intelligence. I have always had a strong interest in learning, and in role of innovation I wanted to find out how technology like AI can bring more efficiency and creativity to our day-to-day life, but when I got the opportunity for HUVTSP it felt like the chance I was waiting for to think deeper about education with technology and entrepreneurship.

Throughout the HUVTSP program, I learned how AI and emerging technologies are being harnessed in EdTech to facilitate lesson planning, formative and subsequent assessments, and classroom engagement, and as a result, it was exciting to hear more first-hand examples of how these emerging technologies are starting to impact classrooms. In addition to the work to be done at the intersection of education and technology, we were also engaging with some business, finance, and entrepreneurship topics which turned concepts into possibilities for future implementations.

With regards to the experience itself, I found that the guest speakers (Mark Cuban, Lila Snyder, Melanie Perkins, etc.) were very insightful. Their stories were, not only inspiring, eye-opening: they all told their own stories dealing with challenges and obstacles in their entrepreneurial journey. They talked about their own failures (the pedal to the metal, style), but what helped them succeed was their own personal determination and belief in their ideas. They helped me to understand that being an entrepreneur is not just about having a good idea; it is also about accepting failure & accepting risk.

Finally, I want to make a shout out to Caleb Kline, our instructor for this course, and main contact for the program. Caleb was a huge contributor to our experience. Not only did he teach the core curriculum content and connect with each of us personally, but he also kept the learning fun and exciting. More importantly, each of us felt heard, valued, and inspired! I was so impressed by his enthusiasm in his teaching and his mentoring!

The experience also became so unique in working across time zones with teammates who were all around the world. I distinctly remember joining meetings at 1 AM or sometimes 3 AM. When it was first shown to me, I thought no way, there is no way I am doing this. It was a struggle at first, but in the end, those late-night sessions that we did whenever our schedules allowed were some of the best experiences I took from this. Of course, we were tired; but we were also energized and dedicated. We tackled problems as a team that no other time of day or preparation would have allowed, and to be part of something as a team is what truly made those late hours worth it.

I think more than anything that I will take away from HUVTSP is the community. I met so many exceptional, driven, and creative people who have the same motivation as I do to have impact. I have even begun conversations around some interesting educational projects in terms of future educational practice, and I hope to collaborate with many of them as I take my first steps of my entrepreneurial journey.

Going forward, my intention is to create innovative solutions to support education, most specifically to use AI to support teachers and students in meaningful ways. HUVTSP taught me how to think like an entrepreneur, but also gave me the confidence, network and tools to start to build something of impact.