Summer Programs
Management & Technology Summer Institute: 100% Scholarship
Selected on a 100% merit scholarship for a three-week immersive program in Electrical Engineering and Business, I worked in a four-person international team to design the MVP of TactiRead, an affordable Braille e-reader for STEM education. The idea was inspired directly by my visit to a Blind Welfare Centre in Trinidad and Tobago, where educators shared that visually impaired students lacked even basic tools to learn diagrams, graphs, or scientific concepts independently.
To ensure user-centered design, I reconnected with the Blind Welfare Centre through my Red Cross mentor, Ms. Hyatali, conducting market research and validating our assumptions with real users and educators. Within the team, I led market analysis, PR/FAQ drafting, financial modeling, and contributed to software development for the companion app.
TactiRead is a next-generation Braille display that combines Braille text, tactile graphics, and audio guidance on a single device. Unlike most Braille readers that display only text, TactiRead allows users to independently explore diagrams and charts through an innovative micro-actuator grid, eliminating the need for teacher-prepared tactile sheets.
Our companion app uses OpenCV to convert common file formats, including PDFs, DOCX files, and images, into accessible tactile content.
Affordability was central to our mission. While comparable devices cost up to $18,000, TactiRead is priced at $134.98, challenging the notion that accessible education must be a luxury.
Sri Sai Ganesh Hospitals: Assistant Account Manager
During the summer, I worked part-time as an Assistant Account Manager at Sri Sai Ganesh Hospital, supporting the hospital’s financial and operational functions. My responsibilities included processing payroll, managing departmental budgets, and reconciling pharmacy bills, requiring accuracy and consistency in a high-stakes healthcare environment.
With no prior formal training in hospital accounting systems, I faced a steep learning curve. I independently studied accounting software through online tutorials while learning workflows directly from hospital staff, quickly adapting to healthcare-specific financial processes. Balancing paid employment alongside academic commitments sharpened my time management, accountability, and problem-solving skills, while exposing me to the operational backbone that sustains patient care.
This experience strengthened my work ethic and reinforced my appreciation for behind-the-scenes roles that make essential healthcare accessible and functional.