Vedika Singh, BSBA ’28, was surprised to find herself sitting in Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera’s office one day in March.
Singh sat next to three other Georgia Tech students. Each had completed a rigorous selection process that included a nomination, an essay, a panel interview, and a conversation with a national Stamps program leader. Still, none of them knew why they had been invited to meet with Cabrera until he welcomed them as Georgia Tech’s newest Stamps President’s Scholars.
“We are excited to announce that you guys are going to be our new class of Stamps Scholar walk-ons. We can’t wait to see what you do,” Singh recalled Cabrera telling the group.
“One of the incredible things was that all the walk-ons were women,” Singh said. “I see giving back to female communities as my broader purpose in life, so it felt incredibly uplifting to have each of them sitting next to me.”
For Singh, a third-year at the Scheller College of Business, the announcement marked the culmination of a journey that began with the relationships she had formed and the impact she had made across Scheller.
A Story of Leadership and Commitment to Community
Most Stamps President’s Scholars enter the program when they begin college. Singh joined through the walk-on process, which gives a small group of current Georgia Tech students an opportunity to become part of the program after enrolling.
Singh learned about the opportunity when Beatriz Rodriguez, assistant dean for undergraduate student engagement, and Craig Womack, associate dean for undergraduate programs at Scheller, recognized her involvement in the College and worked together to nominate her.
“I was over the moon ecstatic,” Singh said. “I was really grateful that Craig had me on his radar. He saw the things I was involved in at Scheller and the work I was doing, and he nominated me.”
Singh believes her commitment to giving back distinguished her during the nomination and selection process. Through the Society of Women in Business, Singh served as continuing education project manager and helped revitalize an investment initiative for women at Georgia Tech. She developed an 18-week curriculum that introduced students to stocks, bonds, exchange-traded funds, taxes, and other fundamentals of financial literacy.
The initiative grew from an opportunity Singh saw in her own experience. Because the Society of Women in Business and Georgia Tech’s Investments Committee met at the same time, students often had to choose between the organizations. Singh wanted to help create another pathway for women interested in investing.
“As students, we talk about financial literacy a lot,” she said. “When I came to Georgia Tech, I realized there wasn’t much education specifically for women about being financially independent. Financial literacy is at the heart of that, so I worked to foster a community for women at Scheller.”
Singh has since transitioned from leading the curriculum to mentoring the student who succeeded her. For Singh, that continuity is essential.
“When you make something, it’s easy to get attached to it and want to stay in that role,” she said. “But it’s also important to train people who are younger than you so that it becomes a flywheel. People can continue to give back and teach younger students.”
Her involvement extends across campus. Singh serves as vice president of events for Scheller Business Ambassadors, mentors Scheller students, and introduces prospective students and families to Georgia Tech as a campus tour guide. She is also a scholar in Scheller’s Center for Finance and Technology.
Together, those experiences helped Singh demonstrate a record of leadership grounded in service. Scheller faculty and staff then helped her communicate that impact to a selection panel representing academic disciplines across Georgia Tech.
“When Scheller students share our achievements with people in more technical programs, it can be hard to translate the impact of the work we do,” Singh said. “I prepared to talk about investing, uplifting women, and my academic experience at Scheller through a more scientific lens so I could relate to the professors and other people interviewing me.”
You Never Know What’s Going to Happen
Growing up in New Jersey, Singh imagined that she would study engineering. Georgia Tech captured her attention early, but as her interests shifted toward sustainability and business, it nearly disappeared from her college list. Her parents encouraged her to reconsider.
“My dad told me, ‘You have to add Georgia Tech. It’s one essay. Just apply. You never know what’s going to happen,’”Singh said.
She applied to study environmental science but reconsidered her academic direction before beginning college. After touring Scheller and learning about the College’s student organizations and opportunities, Singh switched to business administration.
At Scheller, Singh has connected her longstanding interest in sustainability with growing interests in technology and finance. She is concentrating in information technology management and minoring in fintech. She also hopes to pursue the College’s Sustainable Business Minor.
As an out-of-state student, Singh receiving the Stamps Scholarship carried particular significance for her and her family.
“Getting the Stamps Scholarship was one of the most emotional experiences for my family and me because it’s life-changing,” she said. “Having a school that means so much to me also invest in me and my education changes how I want to pursue my future and what I want to do for the communities that helped me get here.”
Building a New Community
As Singh embarks on her third year at Georgia Tech, she’s seeing how the Stamps Scholarship community has expanded her sense of belonging. The program has connected Singh with students from different majors, interests, and backgrounds while giving her another network to contribute to and learn from.
Since her acceptance, she’s met with another walk-on, attended a town hall with scholars ranging from first-year students to fourth-year students, and joined students from the Stamps, Gold, and Tech Promise scholarship programs at an Atlanta Braves game. She also gathered with her Stamps Scholars cohort at the home of a faculty guide, where the students shared a picnic and played volleyball.
“I was always worried that as I progressed through college, I wouldn’t make as many new friends and would stick with the people I met early on,” Singh said. “But the Stamps program has completely changed that. I’ve met more people outside of my own little bubble; it’s been incredible.”
The Next Two Years
The program’s enrichment opportunities are also encouraging Singh to think more broadly about what she can accomplish during her remaining years at Georgia Tech.
As an Indian American, Singh hopes to use enrichment funding to spend time working with a school for women in the region of India where her family is from. She wants to support education and financial literacy while learning more about how investing in women can strengthen families and communities.
“I would love to go back to India and spend two or three weeks working at a women’s school,” Singh said. “That’s where my parents and grandparents are from, so it’s my biggest ambition.”
She is also considering study abroad opportunities and additional conferences focused on women in business. Whatever direction she chooses, Singh hopes to return with ideas she can share with other Georgia Tech students.
“The possibilities are endless,” she said.
She credits the women in her family, including her mother, grandmother, and aunt, with showing her strength, perseverance, and the importance of financial independence. At Georgia Tech, those lessons have shaped the opportunities she pursues and the communities she works to build.
Singh hopes other students will also pursue the people and possibilities that spark their curiosity.
“If you see somebody doing something cool, or you find someone’s energy attractive, talk to them,” she said. “When you click with someone, there’s a reason behind it. Go after that energy and try to understand why you feel drawn to the work that person is doing.”
It is advice Singh has followed throughout her Georgia Tech journey. By initiating conversations, building relationships, and stepping forward when opportunities arise, she found her way to Scheller, translated her interests into opportunities for others, and earned a place in the Stamps Scholars community.