During her second year at UCR’s School of Business, Sachi Rajguroo ’23 found herself feeling isolated during the COVID-19 pandemic in January 2021. Looking for interaction, she joined the Association of Information Systems (AIS) organization. “I wanted to get more involved in school and make more friends,” she says. “I started as a market research member, and I realized that so many people were just like me, they wanted to find new friends and learn more about information systems.”

Today, Rajguroo is AIS president and just weeks away from earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in information systems. Her involvement indeed brought her new friends, mentors, and a future career path. “AIS was a good way for me to dip my toes into the information systems field,” she says.

Upon graduation, Rajguroo will be working at EY as a technology risk consultant and plans to delve further into project management as her career develops. Becoming a project manager holds appeal for Rajguroo because it allows her to network with others while still working within her field of information systems. “What excites me is being able to network with clients nationwide, that’s my favorite part of being a business student, being able to network and speak to so many people.”

Within AIS, she’s expanded her leadership skills and pointed the club in a new direction by spearheading a new brand for the club, with a new logo, merchandise, and focus. “As a president, I’ve utilized social media to advance careers,” she says. “We offer lots of LinkedIn and Handshake workshops.”

Recently, AIS hosted Assistant Professor of Teaching Jonathan Lim as the featured guest at the organization’s Application of Marketing in Information Systems event. “I had class with Lim last quarter, and I loved the way he taught,” she says. “He was so casual and able to relate to students by being approachable and personalizing his classes. I wanted people to see that professors do more than teach, they are connected to their students as well, and that we’re more than just information systems.”

With commencement just weeks away, Rajguroo feels that UCR has provided her with unique opportunities. “As I was growing up, I realized that I wasn’t the American norm,” she says. “When I got to UCR, it’s obviously very diverse, and I think it was the perfect fit for me, because I saw so many people who were similar to me, and it was like a whole new world. I could be more myself.”

Rajguroo has numerous positive figures providing support and encouragement. “I had support from my “big” [a club mentor],” she says. “And, I was mentored by Assistant Professor of Teaching Rich Yueh, who is still my mentor. I’ve learned so much from him, ranging from internships to being a grader for UCR.”

As Rajguroo moves from the academic world to the workforce, she is motivated by her biggest supporters: her family. “My dad came here in the 1990s from India as an immigrant and went back to India to marry my mom, and she came back here alone. Their story has been about building a life for their kids and their education,” she says. “My dad is an engineer, and he always wanted me to do something within technology. I’m always trying to work hard for them, because I want them to be proud of me. When I told him about my first job offer, he was so happy. I see how hard they worked for my sister and me, and I always keep them in the back of my mind.”