From day one, I was asked to be fitted in the box that wasn’t aligning to my true self and who I am?

First of all, my being a “First born as a Girl” wasn’t accepted by my father because he was raised in a patriarchal mindset where men were the rising star of the family. Also, women had a role to be in the kitchen cooking for rest of their life and therefore I wasn’t encouraged to go to school.

Not only that I wasn’t encouraged, I was actually discouraged as I remember my father stating, “You will die in that corner studying because school is useless for a girl who gets to spend their life in the kitchen”.

He was pragmatic and I was determined, not only that I went to school. I graduated as a valedictorian.

Getting admission to an engineering school for me came with a considerable struggle. I got denied for admission at colleges because my mark sheet showed “Failed.” in one of the critical class. I dreamt about studying at the University of California, Irvine, UCI and decided to speak to the chancellor, Laurel Wilkening to explain the circumstances that led me to it.