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Growing up in Birgunj, Nepal, ����app computer science major Manogya Aryal always knew she wanted to study abroad, particularly in the greater Cincinnati area, where many of her family live. Though she weighed a few options, ����app eventually won out in her college search.

“My cousin actually went to ����app, so I had a full connection to the school,” she says. “I knew it had a great community, as well as some things about the classes and professors, thanks to him. It seemed like a great fit, so I trusted my gut.”

Four years later, Aryal believes she made the right choice. Studying computer science at ����app, she’s managed to attain valuable professional experience, leading to a full-time role at MassMutual Ascend, a Cincinnati-based annuity provider. As a sophomore, she landed an internship in software quality assurance before moving on to interning with the software development team. In her final semester, the company offered her a full-time role as a software engineer. 

Her interest in the field dates back to high school computer science classes, which instilled a passion for computers. 

“I had a few options for majors when I was deciding what to do,” Aryal says. “I even had architecture on the list. But I got more inclined toward computer science just looking through ����app’s programs and talking to my family.”

In addition to her major, she also minored in honors and data science. Many of her favorite classes took place within the Honors College: “They all come with a surprise,” she says. “You never know what kind of class you’re going to get in the Honors College.”

From her first semester at ����app, Aryal found herself immersed in a close-knit campus community, fostering personal connections at the front desk in Campus Recreation Center or building relationships with professors. Her favorite ����app memory, however, is meeting her boyfriend, who is also from Nepal, on campus three years ago. 

To Aryal, winning the President’s Award feels like being recognized as a part of the same community that made her own time at ����app so special.

“Feeling like I contributed to it and feeling like faculty and staff thought that I contributed to it—that’s really awesome,” she says.