Gaurav Pande

Conquering imposter syndrome

By Malak Abdel-Ghaffar

After exploring a wide range of majors at NYUAD,  Gaurav Pande, Class of 2021, graduated with a BA, majoring in economics. With a talent in music, a passion for traveling, and an interest in leadership, Pande was selected for the prestigious Princeton in Africa fellowship beginning in August 2021 and will be joining the international infrastructure project development company named eleQtra based in Kampala, Uganda.

The professional and personal experiences Pande acquired over the years made him recognize his strong desire to work in impact. This is why, when he learned about the Princeton in Africa fellowship opportunity, he was instantly drawn to the program and what it has to offer. In his senior year, Pande was juggling over four different professional opportunities, applying to dozens of jobs, and submitting fellowship applications. “I don’t think I’ve ever worked more than I have in the last calendar year,” Pande said.

After securing his fellowship, Pande was still eager to develop himself professionally during the summer. Therefore, he applied for an extremely competitive program by the Fortune 500 company Adecco, to become a CEO for one Month. Picked out of a pool of over 3800 applicants, Pande is experiencing what it means to be a leader of a large firm firsthand. Pande advises students to apply to every opportunity they like and to let go of any self-doubt, since that was the start of every step forward in his personal growth and career.