Pooja Dahiwadkar

She/Her
Class of 2028
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Hometown: Ellicott City, Maryland

What motivated you to become a ClarkLEADER?
I know how overwhelming and daunting entering college for engineering can be. I wanted to use this as an opportunity to help the new year of incoming freshman get a better understanding of what their next few years at the University of Maryland will be like, and have a chance to connect with both new peers and experienced students to form a support system for themselves.

What is one piece of advice you would like to share with new Maryland Engineering Students?
Take on as many opportunities as possible, and make the most of the free resources across campus. These include Guided Study Sessions, office hours, and upperclassmen who will be happy to provide advice and support through your journey at UMD!

What are some organizations or extracurricular activities you think new students should know about?
There are many clubs and organizations across campus which can be academic-related or not. I suggest you try to join at least one of each of these types, which will give you major-related experience while also creating a space for you to relax and form deep friendships. I personally recommend Robotics at Maryland (R@M) as they are an extremely welcoming group, no matter when in the year you join or your experience level. Same goes for the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu club!

If you attended ClarkLEAD as a first-year student, what did you enjoy most about the event?
I enjoyed the explanations of the 4-year plan and creating our first semester schedule. These two things were confusing to me at first, but having people there to guide me was a huge comfort.