Before Sanford, I worked with Verizon in Hyderabad, India. One day, while stuck in a traffic jam, I had an existential moment: the work I was doing had no soul in it. It was limited to just outcomes and logic games; my work did not give me fulfillment. I soon decided to leave and pursue a Gandhi Fellowship – a school and community leadership program. To me an MPP seemed like the logical next step to deliver on the promise of the digital world while scaling my impact.

I am lucky to have found passionate tech policy mentors like Professor David Hoffman. I also love the “Big Duke” aspect of Sanford: I can explore classes and make connections with people in other Duke schools. I have enjoyed the conversations with technology focused professors at Duke Law and the Science and Society department here at Duke.

I chose Sanford because it promised and delivered on a tight-knit community (financial aid was a big decision point as well). The other schools I toured just did not have that sense of community I wanted for my graduate education. Hiking has been a big source of community for me. Ever since my first hike in the fall, I’ve been hooked!

I had never been exposed to this level of education before; I felt as if I was constantly playing catch up. This past October, I went on a trip to Asheville with some Sanford students. The trip really helped me ease into Sanford. I got to speak with and get to know some of my peers who felt the same pressure. I am proud of my mental health journey and my ability to adjust to my life here.

– Anirudh Manchiraju is from #Hyderabad (and #Jhadol too!!), #India and loves to code, swim, and design social awareness campaigns. He especially loves his newfound hobby of hiking. Post graduation, Anirudh wants his work to focus on #AI, #cybersecurity, and privacy. #HumansofDukeSanford #MPP #gradschool #Duke