Just Graduated & already enjoying success
With over 3,000 graduates that are currently empowering over 250 multinational and local blue-chip companies, the Informatics Institute of Technology (IIT) is renowned for producing innovators, entrepreneurs and business leaders. Aishcharya Mario Kahandawala is an all-round BEng (Hons) Software Engineering graduate from IIT who has achieved much success following graduation. Aishcharya is currently employed as a Software Engineer at Virtusa. He completed his internship at Virtusa as a Industrial Trainee – Software Engineering in the third year of the degree. Following are excerpts of the interview with Aishcharya, who shared his thoughts on his journey at IIT.
Can you give a brief introduction to yourself?
I’m Aishcharya Kahandawala. I have one younger sibling, I live with my parents – my mother is a lawyer, and my father is a banker.
Let us know a bit of your school education?
I studed at Lyceum International School, Nugegoda all my school life, concluding with my A/Ls (Cambridge), which I passed in 2015. I took Mathematics, Computer Science, and Physics. I was an active member of the choir, and have represented LIS at many choir competitions. I also participated in speech and drama, and have represented my school in competitions.
What made you decide for you to follow your higher education at IIT?
After my A/Ls, I was looking for options to pursue my higher education, and I came across IIT. I was initially drawn to the Computer Science degree path and the wide array of options that it offered,
but eventually switched to the Software Engineering degree path in order to pursue a more focused degree after learning more about the industry. I also believed the small group teaching at IIT that allows for individual attention helps for a better study and social experience.
How was the Student life and experience at IIT?
At IIT I was an active member of the choir, eventually having the opportunity of leading the choir in the 2018/2019 academic year. I was able to participate in many hackathons and, alongside a friend, was able to win one. I was also an active member of the IIT Toastmasters Club, which I joined in my second year at IIT, and eventually had the opportunity to serve as the club’s Treasurer in the 2018/2019 academic year.
What are your notable achievements at IIT?
As mentioned previously I had the pleasure of being able to serve in leadership positions at Choir and Toastmasters clubs as the choir leader at Vocal Impact, and as the club Treasurer at IIT Toastmasters, respectively.
At Vocal Impact, I was called upon to train the choir and participate in many important IIT events, most notably the Christmas Programme, a short carol service organised by the students every year, and Stagecraft, IIT’s annual talent competition.
Outside of club activity, I was able to participate in a number of hackathons and was able to win one such hackathon, with a puzzle game project.
Has IIT shaped you for corporate success? If so, how?
I believe IIT contributes in many ways – the academic experience helps you to manage many of the realities of the corporate experience, like tough deadlines, changing requirements, and managing stress. Furthermore, the course content focuses on teaching fundamentals early, which has been useful, as it allowed me to adapt to whatever technology is needed for a project, as well as helping me find and understand more about my own specialisations.
Can you describe the support you received from the staff and the faculty of IIT?
The faculty of IIT that I regularly interacted with were always willing to advise, trying their best to answer our questions and fit meetings into their schedules. The staff were also very helpful in helping us resolve both personal and club-related matters.
What are your fondest moments at IIT?
My fondest experience is the time I spent at the helm of the choir, and the friendships I formed and the things I learned during my time there. Of special note was our Stagecraft performance, as well as our final session of singing the IIT anthem at our own convocation alongside the upcoming choir leaders and new members.
What are your reasons to recommend IIT to students?
I would recommend IIT to students who are willing to put effort in to their academic work. It is not possible to simply coast through the course content and pass. However, if one is willing to put in an effort, the course content and professional opportunities that IIT has to offer will set them up for a solid career in the industry going forward. The internship that IIT offers is also valuable in terms of experience and increasing one’s employability in the workforce immediately post-graduation, setting them at an advantage to many of the other fresh graduates attempting to break into the industry at that time.
IIT is an award winning campus, which has bagged many accolades for innovation in local and international competitions such as Microsoft Imagine Cup, National Best Quality Software Awards (NBQSA), APICTA, British Council-HSBC Youth Enterprise Award and e-Swabhimani.
With its strong international affiliations, outstanding resources and focus on quality higher education, IIT is without a doubt an ideal place for students to follow world renowned IT and Business degrees. For further information, e-mail “admissions@iit.ac.lk” or call the hotline 0722 72 72 72 or visit IIT Main Campus at No. 57, Ramakrishna Rd, Colombo 06.