Global Storyteller: Bharat Balagopal

What degree are you working towards?

A PhD in Electrical Engineering

Tell us your leadership story! Describe a little bit of your journey growing up that made you into a leader. What experience(s) defined you?

My goal during my masters was to not only excel in my studies, but to also participate and explore the extracurricular activities that were targeted at new international students. I made sure that I participated in as many events as possible while also balancing my coursework. Participating in numerous campus initiatives helped me improve both my people and leadership skills. I became a natural leader among my peers at work and used those skills in every part of my life.

Having traveled nearly 9,000 miles, my goal was to meet as many people from different backgrounds and experiences as possible. I was also keen on bringing people closer together in a world that was sometimes trying to divide us.

It is my belief that we all live in one world, and we are all one pack. So, along with the support and advice of the Office of International Services, I started a new student organization called Global Pack. This group provides a platform to bring together people from all over the world. This organization has attracted a lot of globally-minded people and has helped me become a global citizen.

Why did you choose NC State? How did NC State help you grow as a leader?

I was in undergrad when I first heard of NC State through a friend who had just completed his masters at NC State. He told me it was a great school and that the research opportunities, in particular, were amazing.

When I looked into the research that the faculty was working on and saw the role that NC State played in the Research Triangle Park, I was convinced that NC State was the best place for my masters.

NC State provided me with opportunities to be both a leader academically and socially. These opportunities have shaped me and by learning to communicate easily with people from different backgrounds, I quickly became a more effective leader.

What would you tell a prospective international student who was interested in attending NC State?

NC State is an amazing school that encourages students to achieve greatness in their academic fields as well as helping them develop into well-rounded people. Everyone here is welcoming, warm, friendly, and incredibly supportive. Come join the Wolfpack – as Rudyard Kipling once wrote, “For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.”