Hoos Serving

Vikram Seshadri is a third-year in the School of Engineering and Applied Science majoring in biomedical engineering. Vikram is the program director for Madison House's new program, "The Gym," a member of HELPline's outreach committee, and also works as a mentor for Autism Allies. He's also an Eagle Scout!

How did you first get involved?

Personally, I have always believed that it is important to give back to a community that has helped me grow and mature as a person. Here at Charlottesville, I have been able to explore a variety of great fields, learn a crazy amount, and further my personal goals of becoming a surgeon one day! Accordingly, I find volunteering is probably the best way that I can think of to give back to the community that has already given me so much in return! Being able to leave an impact on a place that has given me so much in return is why I'm proud to participate in the various volunteering organizations with which I work.

What has been most rewarding?

Honestly, there is nothing more gratifying than being able to make someone smile. This past semester, I have been able to work with Jacob Kaminer and our community partners at The Gym in Charlottesville to grow and foster a budding Special Athletes Program that enables students with various disabilities to come and work out in a judgement-free zone. When I see them working at Newcomb Hall or at the football games, and they run up to me to give me a big hug or a high five, it is extremely gratifying.

What's your #CommunityCommitment for next year?

I am working with some students at the med school to spearhead a new organization called, "Athletic Inclusivity for those with Special Needs (AISN)." This program will focus on expanding the efforts of various recreational therapy communities to bring out and enable the special needs community! In addition, I'm hoping to grow and expand The Gym volunteers so that we can start doing even more awesome community events and really expand the breadth of our impact.

How can others get involved?

Honestly, you will be surprised how many ways there are to get involved at UVA. For me, it was always just about talking to my friends and classmates. Hearing about the great things that they were able to work on is what encouraged me a great deal to make a difference in this community! Especially when you consider just how easy it is for us to get involved, there's really no excuse to not just go out and do something for someone else, no matter how big or small!

What has been the greatest class you have taken at UVA?

The greatest class I have taken at UVA is probably this super cool class I took my first year about Synthetic Biology (BIOL 4770). This class was super cool because it was associated with a really awesome undergraduate research team called iGEM. Through these involvements, we were able to learn about Genetically Modified Organism, and even work collaboratively with other UVA students to create cool synthetic biology solutions to global problems.

What is your favorite UVA tradition?

To me, there is nothing greater than singing the Good Ol' Song after a big win for the Hoos! Nothing beats the energy and passion our school has, and that's just one of the thousands of reasons this school is so amazing!