By Elaine Smith

As a high school student in New Delhi, Gaurika Agarwal was a member of seven or eight clubs and on the leadership team for most of them. Now that she has begun her studies at York University, the President’s International Scholarship of Excellence winner has jumped right into the vibrant University club scene as an intern with the eSports Club, a member of the Design Student Association and a volunteer for the Indian Cultural Association.

“I love being involved,” said Agarwal. “I’ve met so many friends through clubs, met so many younger students who would often come to me for advice – it is a very cool experience.”

The President's International Scholarship of Excellence is York’s richest international scholarship, awarded to international high school applicants who demonstrate academic excellence, commitment to volunteer work and extracurricular activities, and leadership skills. 

“I didn’t expect to get a scholarship, but my dad and I saw this listed online and decided there was no harm in my applying,” Agarwal said. “I usually check my email in the morning and I refreshed it a lot during the acceptance period. When I saw that I’d won a scholarship, I freaked out; it was crazy. My parents were really, really happy.”

Now, Agarwal is living on campus and studying design at the School of Arts, Media, Performance & Design (AMPD). She pursuing a design degree with a specialty in UI/UX (user interface/user experience) design.

“I discovered design by accident,” Agarwal said. “I used to do a lot of small art projects on my computer and our school hosted a competition for designing a UI/UX application. I had no previous experience, but I earned second place and began doing it during high school. Design is what I enjoy doing and it motivated me to consider York University.

“I want to be a UI/UX designer. Human-centred design makes life easier and it is art with a tech side that I really enjoy. I love all the new gadgets.”

She is already at home at York after connecting with other incoming students during the summer through social media groups. The in-person experience has been good, too.

“The other students are a great community and everyone is there for you; your professors and teaching assistants are only an email away.”