CHASS Student of the Month – October 2010

Anuja Acharya

• Home Town: Raleigh, NC
• Class: Junior
• Major(s):
  • Political Science (Public Policy)
  • English (Creative Writing)
• Sample Courses:
  • Intermediate Poetry Writing
  • The Presidency and Congress
  • Hindi-Urdu
• Activities:
  • State Government Internship Program, Summer 2010
  • President, Economics Society(2009-2011)
  • Vice President, Greenpeace NCSU (2010)
  • Associate Editor, Wolfpack Lampoon (2010)
  • Contributor, Windhover (Spring 2010) and Ink: Undergraduate Research Journal (Spring 2010)
  • Turlington Arts Village (2009-10)
  • Resident Advisor, Bragaw Hall (2010-11)
• Honors:
  • Abraham Holtzman Scholarship
  • University Scholars Program
• Postgraduate Plans: I may go on to graduate school or law school – there are so many possibilities, I am not completely decided yet!
• Career Goals: I am open to many things, and will continue exploring all my options.

How have you been involved with your majors outside the classroom?

I served as an intern in the State Government Internship Program during summer 2010. I worked for the Conference of Clerks of Superior Court, a department of the Administrative Office of the Courts. My job was to track legislation as it pertained to the Clerks of Superior Court, which included going to meetings of the General Assembly. During my time with the conference, I developed a continuous, online bill tracking system to give the user an “at a glance” understanding of which phase any given pertinent bill may be in the legislative process. Further, writing is my favorite creative outlet, and I have been involved in several publications on campus.

What do you enjoy most about CHASS?

I feel that we are a humble college without pretensions. In CHASS classes, it doesn’t matter if we are from CHASS, Engineering or PAMS – we are all just students learning together. One of my favorite courses was Modern Middle East with Dr. Khater. It taught me that what happened 50 years ago has tremendous relevance for what happens today. I have a real appreciation for the “larger picture.”

What advice would you give to incoming students?

Be open minded with your course selections. Sometimes things that may not grab your attention at the start may turn out to be the most thought-provoking. And take advantage of internships, as they bridge the transition from academic life to career.

Nominate a student for CHASS Student of the Month.