Krishna Bharathala, M&T'18

Krishna Bharathala, M&T’18

Hometown:
Fremont, CA

Engineering Major:
Computer Science, BSE, MSE

Wharton Concentration:
Management (Entrepreneurship and Innovation), Statistics

Minor:
Mathematics

WHY M&T?

Despite coming from a technical high school in the Silicon Valley, I knew I didn’t want to become an engineer working for a large software company. Instead, I wanted to use my love for building and design to do bigger and more innovative things. M&T gives me the opportunity to not only develop technically but also gain a business sense and learn about strategy and management. I am majoring in Entrepreneurial Management and will be pursuing Product Management after college with the intention to eventually start my own company.

FAVORITE CLASS

My favorite class at Penn so far has been Management 237 — Management of Technology taught by Dr. Saikat Chaudhuri. The class, in my mind, is the essence of M&T. It teaches us how to bring strategy and management frameworks to technology companies. Through the class, I realized I wanted to pursue a career in tech management instead of a role solely in engineering or in finance/consulting. I also really like CIS160: Mathematical Foundations of Computer Science taught by Dr. Rajiv Gandhi. Professor Gandhi does an incredible job engaging the class and making the course both challenging and fulfilling.

LIFE AT PENN

It is really rare that I find myself bored at Penn. Outside of coursework and the clubs, there are always so many events and speakers on campus. My favorite event has to be the Authors@Wharton Speaker Series. Through the series, a speaker comes to discuss their new book each month. So far I’ve seen Malcolm Gladwell, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, and Amy Cuddy, to name a few. It’s a truly unique opportunity to be able to listen to such amazing speakers for free.

M&T COMMUNITY

My favorite part about M&T is without a doubt the community. All freshmen M&Ts have the opportunity to live in Ware College House which helps in making friends at the beginning of the year. Through M&T I have found my closest friends, my roommates, and my study groups. M&Ts have helped me find internships and pick classes and clubs. I have never met a group as supportive and helpful, and who always push me to be the best I can be.

ACTIVITIES AT PENN

I am the head teaching assistant for CIS 160, the introductory math computer science class. I’m also involved in Hack4Impact a non-profit organization that builds web and mobile applications for non-profits with little to no technical infrastructure. I’m a member of Penn Masti, a South Asian fusion dance team and a former member of Penn Labs. There are so many different groups on campus – it is super easy to find a group to fit your interests.

BEST SUMMER EXPERIENCE

Last summer I worked at Google as a Software Engineer on the Earth team. While the work was exciting and challenging, my favorite memories of the summer were hanging out after work with my friends from Penn. In particular, I remember watching a Warriors playoff game while barbecuing at fellow M&T Akshat Agrawal’s house with friends.