Hello, I’m Nirmal Karthik
I’ve been passionate about engineering even before I knew the meaning of the word. As an elementary schooler, I loved to take apart everyday objects and throughout middle school, my favorite classes were those which related to engineering.
I started working when I was 15 as a cashier at a local grocery store and grew to appreciate the feeling of a hard day’s work early on. It was as a cashier that I first learned the value of soft skills such as communication and customer service, as well as the trust between employer and employee; although, much to the surprise of my coworkers, I took more interest in the electrical workings of my scanner and cash register than in the day-to-day happenings of the shop. Two internships later, I was the Electrical Lead of my high school’s FIRST Robotics Team and had the opportunity to manage the creation of a complete electrical and pneumatic system for the first time.
More so than my intern experiences of repairing computers, FIRST solidified my interest in computer engineering, and because I started college with enough credits to be classified a Junior, I continue to pursue this at Georgia Tech by exclusively taking major related classes. As a member of the Yellow Jacket Space Program, Marine Robotics Group, and Hyper Jackets, I also take on projects related to PCB and control panel design.
Timeline to Success
As immigrant service workers, my parents told me never to take anything for granted, recalling their own lives in which basic resources like water were scarce. From a young age, I’ve felt grateful for the resources and opportunities available to me and strived to make the most of them. Hence, my career goal is to use my engineering experience to develop technology which will address global developmental issues. Working towards this, I plan to register for a Virtually Integrated Project called HumaniTech, which focuses on global developmental issues, next semester, and am actively pursuing internships for the next summer as well as exploring other experiences I can pursue during my time at Georgia Tech!
Graduation – Spring 2024
My tentative plan is to graduate from Georgia Tech with my Bachelor’s of Science in Computer Engineering by June of 2024. From an academic standpoint, this is the earliest I can complete all the graduation requirements; however, I may extend this by a semester or a year if professional opportunities such as internships, research, or co-ops would be of greater benefit than an early graduation. To finance my degree, I am currently relying on support from my parents and scholarships; I am also considering freelance work or a job starting semester.
Master’s Degree in Computer Engineering – Spring 2025
After graduating with my Bachelor’s Degree, I intend to pursue a Master’s Degree in Computer Engineering through Georgia Tech’s B.S./M.S. 1 year Master’s Program because I believe that a graduate education would better enable me to fulfill my goals. This plan is also tentative and I may extend my graduation date or pursue a different opportunity if the alternatives are more enticing to me. I plan to finance this degree through part-time work, preferably in a university position which would subsidize the cost.
Career – Post Graduation
Currently, I am interested in a career in Computer Architectures and Embedded Systems; I am excited to explore these further and learn more about their applications. My end goal is to have a career which contributes to addressing global developmental issues, and to prepare for this, I am seeking out opportunities which provide an intersection of Computer Engineering and Development initiatives such as HumaniTech. I am also seeking out industry experience in the form of an internship.
Next Steps
◈ Register for HumaniTech
◈ Secure an Internship for this summer
◈ Look into freelancing work or job; preferably something related to my field which will provide some degree of industry experience
◈ Maintain atleast a 3.5 GPA to qualify for B.S./M.S. program
◈ Continue to look for other opportunities to explore my interests