Charger Finds Growth, Friendship Through Data Science and Badminton

I want to share my story as a Charger and highlight how the University of New Haven helped me achieve things I never thought possible.

My Master's journey in Data Science began in Spring 2024. As an international student, I struggled initially. I was missing assignment deadlines and feeling unmotivated because I was alone in a new country, navigating everything without anyone to remind me. While that may seem like the bare minimum, at the time, it was a real challenge.

I felt things were slowly slipping out of my hands, and I felt I had no one to help me. At one point, I started questioning myself: Why am I not able to do the bare minimum like all other students? To help myself, I started planning my routine a day in advance, keeping track of a to-do list, and journaling. Slowly, things began to change.

In Fall 2024, I joined the University of New Haven Badminton Club. I thought it was going to be just a recreational sport, but that changed quickly. It wasn’t as easy as it looked. I was intimidated seeing the other players who were very good, some having played at the national level. I couldn't even score a single point playing with them. My first week was tough. My body got sore quickly, and I couldn't even walk properly for a day.

In the third week, I sprained my ankle, which forced me to rest for a week. I still remember my coach personally called and told me about the R.I.C.E. method (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation) to recover fast, as he didn't want anyone to quit the sport when it got hard. I used to compare everyone’s gameplay to myself, dreaming of the day I would be at their level. The drills became hard, and the intense game sessions drained almost all my energy, but I refused to give up, and I gave my everything at each session.

After the first two months, we had a scrimmage with Brown University. I had trained, but I still didn’t play well in my first competitive match against a new team, and the result was not as good as expected. I stopped worrying about comparing myself to others and focused on improving myself. I put in the work because I believed a bad practice was better than missing a practice session. I missed out on parties, trips, and social media, which was all worth it for this sport. Winter break helped me get a new perspective, and I stepped back onto the courts for spring.

In Spring 2025, I took the responsibility of Club Secretary, overseeing club operations and communication between teams and Club Sports. My second scrimmage was with Yale University, and I played better than I did in my first. I stepped onto the court with zero experience back then, but I walked out with so much learned over the past 15 months. I had improved my game significantly compared to day one.

Spending four hours every day on the court was the highlight of my two years as a Charger. Since joining, I have learned many things in addition to the game, such as leadership, discipline, and time management. I also met diverse people from different countries and traveled to other schools for scrimmages, which built my competitiveness.

I am eternally grateful to the people who guided me on this journey. My friend Amruth Kuntamalla ’26 M.S., introduced me to this sport. My coach Sri Teja Chinnam ’19 M.S., always pushed me beyond my limits, and my captain, Koteswar Reddy Kavali ’26 M.S., helped me learn the game at my own pace without struggle. At this point, I can even say that I effectively did a "Master's in Badminton."

Apart from the sport, I also served as a campus connector for two semesters, helping new international students navigate life here and promoting campus events organized by the Office of Graduate and International Student Life (OGISL) to encourage more student participation. This University and Club Badminton have offered me so much that I will be forever grateful for.

I believe the things I have learned will help me achieve higher goals and succeed in life.