Jai Vaichalkar

He/Him
Class of 2026
Major: Bioengineering
Minor: Biomechanics & Motor Development
Hometown: Marriottsville, MD

What motivated you to become a ClarkLEADER?
I wanted to help incoming freshmen fit in and get to know more people.

What are some organizations or extracurricular activities you think new students should know about?
I think students should look into trying out new sports that they’ve never had the opportunity to try, like fencing. Some academic clubs as well, there are a lot of interesting clubs run by the robotics community. Even if your major isn’t related to robotics, it is always good to learn new skills.

If you attended ClarkLEAD as a first-year student, what did you enjoy most about the event?
I really enjoyed talking to the other freshmen, and it was somewhat comforting seeing how they were in a similar boat as I was.

What is one piece of advice you would like to share with new Maryland Engineering students?
My one piece of advice is to get to know not only your fellow classmates but also the upperclassmen, professors, and TAs.