Savi Agarwal is a master of time management.

When she graduates in Fall 2023, she’ll have earned a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering and minors in international business, language, and culture and health and medical sciences — and she’ll have done so in only 2.5 years.

Between classes, she’s been involved with several pre-medical student organizations, volunteered at local clinics and hospitals, and done medical research. And as if there wasn’t enough on her plate, Agarwal is the founder of Medical Brigades, a Georgia Tech student organization dedicated to providing medical care to underserved communities.

Agarwal grew up in India and the United States, and she said the trip to Honduras brought up many parallels in lifestyle and lack of resources from her years in India. But she also saw a similar appreciation of life.

“People [in both countries] celebrate the fact that they’re alive and can support their families,” she said. “They recognize that the true gifts of the world are not materialistic, but about being in community together. The smallest and humblest homes have the brightest celebrations.

“It was a reminder to me that I want to support the people who represent where I’m from by sharing this attitude.”

Driven to Serve

Agarwal said she knows the importance of a well-rounded education. In high school, she doubled up on Advanced Placement classes, qualified three times for the American Invitational Mathematics Exam, and led her Science Bowl team to a top-16 finish nationally, gaining a love for interdisciplinary science along the way.

She enrolled at Tech when she was just 15, decided on biomedical engineering for her studies, and took 21-credit semesters, motivated by her desire to learn from as many perspectives as possible.

Agarwal sprinkled in research on organ-on-chip devices; clinical rotations and volunteering; assisting with cancer care at Northside Hospital; and building collaborations between student clubs focused on social justice, medicine, and innovation.

A pivotal experience came when she began volunteering at the Clarkston Community Health Center just outside Atlanta. The free clinic serves a diverse community where many people lack insurance and live in poverty. There, she saw doctors and medical students helping people navigate barriers to healthcare that she said she encountered again and again as she shadowed at other hospitals.

“There are barriers beyond just financial stability, like housing, literacy, or even stigma due to a lack of education or experience,” Agarwal said. “Being able to directly help patients move past those blockages and reach a level of autonomy and well-being where they don’t have to come back is very dear to my heart.”

She makes time away from work a priority, playing tennis, swimming, and skating (she’s vice president of the Georgia Tech figure skating club). She sings Indian classical music, plays the piano and the flute, and loves listening to K-pop.

She’s also a big fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe: “Give me a line, and I’ll quote you the whole scene,” she said. She watches a movie almost every day, saying that it gives her time to “not think about what happens next.” She prioritizes spending time in nature and with her family, which helps her to stay grounded and in the moment.

Agarwal said she recognizes her journey so far has been unconventional, but she also knows it’s true to who she is.

“I’m not trying to tell anyone that they should do what I’ve done,” she said. “But I want people to know that if there’s something you want to do, and you’re hesitant because it’s unconventional, then just go for it.”