麻豆传媒

At only 21 years old, University of New Haven graduate student Kalpitha Sheshachalam Naidu 鈥�27 M.S. reflects on finding confidence, gaining hands-on experience, and embracing being the youngest person in the room.

There is a particular kind of silence that comes with being the youngest person in the room.

You notice the years of experience around you. You notice how confidently people speak about things you are still learning. And sometimes, without anyone saying a word, you begin asking yourself if you really belong.

I have asked myself that question more times than I can count.

Today, at 21 years old, I am pursuing my at the University of New Haven, graduating before turning 22.

On paper, those milestones can look straightforward. In reality, they have been filled with uncertainty, mistakes, learning, and moments when I felt like I was trying to figure everything out as I went.

Coming to the University of New Haven gave me more than another step in my education. It gave me a place to grow into the person I was becoming.

鈥楥onfidence often comes after doing, not before鈥�

As a graduate student, I have had opportunities to take what I was learning in the classroom and begin experiencing what it means to work in the field. My experiences in IT and networking have taught me that confidence often comes after doing, not before. You take the opportunity. You ask the question. You make the mistake. You learn how to solve the problem. Slowly, what once felt unfamiliar becomes familiar.

That process has changed the way I think about not knowing something.

Cybersecurity is constantly changing. There will always be another technology to learn, another problem to understand, and another situation I have never encountered before. I used to think that being capable meant having the answer. Now, I believe it means having the courage to say, 鈥淚 don't know yet, but I am willing to learn.鈥�

That mindset has helped me navigate being young in professional and academic environments.

Being the youngest person in the room can be intimidating, but it can also be an advantage. You are still curious. You are willing to ask questions. You are open to learning from the people around you. My dad once gave me advice that has stayed with me throughout this journey: 鈥淏eing the youngest person in the room is a privilege. Stay curious and keep learning.鈥�

I have carried those words with me at the University of New Haven.

"The relationships I have built and the people who have supported me have become some of the most special parts of my University experience."

- Kalpitha Sheshachalam Naidu 鈥�27 M.S.

鈥業 kept going when I was unsure鈥�

Recently, I had the privilege of being recognized by , a network of women empowering women, for my achievements as one of the youngest graduates in cybersecurity. Being recognized as an Influential Woman was a meaningful moment for me, not simply because of the recognition itself, but because it gave me an opportunity to pause and reflect on the journey behind it.

The recognition represented every time I kept going when I was unsure. Every time I had to advocate for myself. Every question I was afraid to ask. Every moment when I wondered whether I was good enough, and chose to keep learning anyway.

My University of New Haven experience has been shaped by the people and communities that gave me opportunities beyond the classroom. I am especially grateful to the , which gave me a space where I could simply be myself, and the Office of Information Technology (OIT).

The relationships I have built and the people who have supported me have become some of the most special parts of my University experience. When I look back on my time here, I know I will remember much more than the work itself. I will remember the people, the conversations, the little moments, and the feeling of being part of something. Working with OIT has given me the opportunity to grow professionally, gain hands-on experience, and learn from people who trusted me enough to let me learn by doing. Both experiences have shaped me in ways that go beyond a r茅sum茅, and I will carry those lessons with me long after I graduate.

鈥楲eaving something behind for the people who come after me鈥�

I am still learning. I am still figuring out where cybersecurity will take me. I still walk into rooms where I don't know everything, but I no longer think that means I don't belong.

Maybe being the first in my family to go to college is not just about walking a path that no one before me has walked. Maybe it is also about leaving something behind for the people who come after me.

And maybe being the youngest in the room is not something to outgrow.

Maybe it is a privilege to stay curious, keep learning, bring my own perspective, and have the courage to keep walking through doors before I feel completely ready. Because sometimes, you don't become confident and then walk into the room.

Sometimes, you walk into the room first鈥攁nd realize that you belonged there all along.