Salutatorian wants to make an impact in underserved communities
Ashwin Bhumbla may not have known exactly what he wanted to major in when he arrived at USC, but two things were crystal clear. One, he was going to be in the Trojan Marching Band. Two, whatever he pursued, he was going to use it to help others.
He made the band, eventually becoming an alto saxophone section leader. He also joined student organizations like Code the Change and Engineers Without Borders to put his passions and skills to use in environments that allowed him to work with underserved communities at home and abroad.
As far as his major, it didn’t take long to decide on narrative studies and computer science. This led to a goal he really hadn’t set when he entered college: being named a salutatorian for the Class of 2021.
Bhumbla entered USC as an industrial engineering major, but after a few semesters ended up in computer science. He then picked up narrative studies at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.
“It’s a fantastic major,” Bhumbla said. “I really think a lot of people, especially in engineering, should take more humanities courses. Engineering I think teaches us a lot of the how and the what we’re doing, but not so much the why.”
This is the second year in a row that a member of the Trojan Marching Band has been named salutatorian, following the Class of 2020’s Thomas Kim.
“Hopefully, this starts a long tradition of band people doing well,” Bhumbla said with a smile.
An “others first” attitude got Bhumbla involved in organizations like Engineers Without Borders and Code the Change. The former focuses on engineering projects that empower communities to meet their basic human needs, as well as equip leaders to solve the world’s most pressing challenges, and the latter drives social impact through software projects for nonprofit organizations.
Bhumbla joined Engineers Without Borders his freshman year and was able to work on projects like building a water purification system in Guatemala and designing a school for underserved youth in San Bernardino. He joined Code the Change (CTC) as a sophomore and served as a developer for various projects, like developing an app for cancer patients to keep track of their medication dosages and times, and an online forum for South L.A. residents to discuss housing issues.
As he prepares to graduate and start working full-time with Microsoft, Bhumbla understands the benefits of tech, but he’s also able to see how tech can create inequality. The job is not simply a 9-to-5 for him, but perhaps a way to use the connections and resources for more philanthropic endeavors, even as an entry-level employee.
Thinking about how he entered USC versus where he is now, it’s easy for Bhumbla to smile, especially when he thinks about his major. He knows that as a freshman, he would have never believed where he’d be in four years. After early struggles with depression and anxiety, as well as the mental toll of finding his path and remaining focused during a pandemic, he now gets to walk across the stage at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in front of familiar faces, many of whom he hasn’t seen in over year.
But perhaps the biggest reason for Bhumbla to smile is the anticipation of what the future holds.
“Ultimately, I think [my freshman self] would be proud of the person I’ve become, and at the same time, they’d probably also be yelling at me to get off my ass and continue to work and help other people,” he said. “I haven’t done nearly enough in my life yet, and there’s a lot left to do going forward.”