For sophomore Raksha Thiagarajan, identity has always come in layers. She was raised in St. Louis by parents who immigrated from India, so she grew up with two different cultures.

“When I went out, it was very much American. When I came home, it was Indian,” she says.

Blending those cultures influenced her academic path and her dream career: working in fashion — not as a designer, but in business. And she says S&T will help lead her there by studying information science and technology.

“I feel that fashion is really blending with technology now,” she says. “Especially with marketing, databases and dashboards. I want to use the skills I learn at S&T to potentially get a career at  Louis Vuitton or Gucci, but on the business side.”

Her family background heavily influenced her career choice, with Indian fashion culture always taking center stage at home and family events. Thiagarajan says with Indian culture, they dress up in extravagant clothing, even for small events.

“I really liked that growing up, because it made me feel like a princess, even if I was just going to a birthday party,” she says. 

Back then, Thiagarajan often sketched dress designs. In middle school, she learned how to sew from her grandmother. Even though she liked that as a hobby, she knew dress design wasn’t her calling.

“I thought that meant I wanted to go into fashion design,” she says. “But it’s not something I want to do for the rest of my life. I liked the branding and marketing. So I said wait, that’s just the business of fashion.”

She started taking finance, accounting and marketing classes in high school, and even won multiple awards at DECA and FBLA state competitions. From that point, she knew a business career was the right choice. While at S&T, Thiagarajan also takes the time to create business-fashion presentations and portfolio projects.

After graduating from S&T, she plans to get an MBA and become a consultant, specifically in the luxury sector, potentially at a consulting company in New York City that works with various brands.

“Rather than feeling inclined to just one, I feel like experiencing what each of those different companies do, whether it be branding, marketing — each of them have their own story,” Thiagarajan says.

Thiagarajan is also a Kummer Vanguard Scholar. In the program, she’s been able to network with entrepreneurs and professionals.

“I’m hearing from professionals who can potentially help with my career later on, and some of them even work at these big companies like Boeing and Accenture, that I can talk to at the career fair, and they recognize me,” she says. “I really learned a lot, because to get that knowledge from someone who’s been in an industry for 20 to 25 years, you can’t just get that through LinkedIn. You need to really meet them in person and talk to them face to face, and I’ve been able to do that.”

S&T’s strong career outcomes are supported by its Career Opportunities and Employer Relations office. S&T hosts large career fairs each semester with hundreds of companies, giving thousands of students opportunities to secure internships, co-ops and full-time positions. Nationally, S&T continues to stand out for return on investment: in the 2025 Wall Street Journal rankings, S&T placed eighth in the nation for best salaries, and number one in Missouri.

As a Kummer Vanguard Scholar, Thiagarajan has gained a broader perspective on networking and career development, even outside of her specific interest in the luxury industry. She’s building transferable skills that apply across industries, noting that career paths can evolve over time. 

Through the program, she’s interacted with professionals from a wide range of fields, including aerospace, engineering and geology, and has focused on developing essential soft skills in addition to technical skills.

“Being a Kummer Vanguard Scholar, I’m able to learn about all these people from all these different industries,” she says. “I’m learning skills that every industry needs, like leadership and communication. These are skills you really need.”

Thiagarajan is already on a path to entrepreneurship at S&T. She’s an official campus ambassador for Fresh Prints, a merchandise company that collaborates with universities across the U.S.

Through Fresh Prints, Thiagarajan runs her own campus Instagram page and manages sales requests from S&T  organizations and departments. Within her first two months, she generated approximately $2,300 in sales and continues to see steady growth.

“Working with Fresh Prints is a great opportunity to work on my business and marketing skills while being a student here,” Thiagarajan says.

Thiagarajan is also very involved on campus. She’s on the Solar House Design Team, where she will soon be vice president of public relations, is involved in the Entrepreneurial Student Society, and helped start the DECA chapter at S&T.

Her advice? Get involved. S&T isn’t the typical college experience, so you need to make it your own, she says.

“As I’ve involved myself on campus, I’ve realized it’s okay that I’m not an engineering student. No one is judging you for that. You just have to put yourself out there,” she says. “And every opportunity you miss is a shot not taken, so just live by that when you’re here.”