Student commencement speaker embraces discovery, community and culture

Commencement speaker and computer science student shares her journey of leadership and passion

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (05/07/2025) — From the busy streets of Mumbai to labs and lecture halls, on May 15, Rimika Dhara’s will speak on behalf of the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering (CSE) graduating Class of 2025.

Dhara was drawn to the University of Minnesota for its strong support for international students and quickly found a home in CSE. She began her academic journey in electrical engineering, but through hands-on lab experiences, she discovered her true passion was programming. This led her to pursue computer science, a field that aligned with both her technical interests and long-term goals. 

Dhara made the most of her time at CSE, both in and outside the classroom. She served as Student Outreach Director, Mental Health Director and Academic Affairs Director for the Science and Engineering Student Board (SESB). She also held teaching assistant positions and engaged in undergraduate research with the MinnesotaNLP Lab. Outside of the lab, Dhara worked on personal coding projects, blogged about technical topics and practiced Kathak—a classical Indian dance form.

Dhara’s academic excellence and leadership earned her both the 2024–2025 John J. Feigal Computer Science Scholarship and the 2023–2024 Hopper-Dean Scholarship Honoring Dr. Vipin Kumar.

In both the video and Q&A below, Dhara shares how her time in CSE shaped her career path and why she wanted to be the commencement speaker.

What student organizations were you involved in?

I was involved in a variety of different clubs throughout my time at the University of Minnesota. I started my freshman year by joining Engineering Without Borders, Engineering World Health, Society of Women Engineers, and the Science and Engineering Student Board (SESB). I also wanted to incorporate cultural organizations like Indian Student Association and the bollywood-fusion dance team, Minnesota Junoon. After exploring a bunch of different communities, I narrowed it down to just holding positions in SESB. I really enjoyed having a voice in CSE and being able to bridge the gap between the CSE student body and faculty members.

Tell us about your internship experience.

After my freshman year, due to my visa restrictions, I participated in an apprenticeship with Google through their Software Product Sprint program. During this time, I learned about software engineering basics and the interview process common in the industry. The following summer, I secured an internship with Pearson VUE in Bloomington, Minn., where I researched and worked on integrating AI into their exam scheduling systems. I also interned with Oracle in Seattle, focusing more closely on their Natural Language Processing (NLP) systems and integrating AI into their notification database.

What stands out from your experience in CSE?

What stands out to me about my experiences in CSE is the remarkable sense of community I've encountered. Through my service on SESB and interactions with various CSE staff members and professors, I've been truly astounded by how welcoming and supportive everyone has been. I've consistently found that I can reach out to professors for guidance or even just a quick chat about life beyond academics. I cherish the connections I've made within CSE and find myself continually inspired by so many brilliant minds, who are balancing their intellectual pursuits with the demands of busy lives. This collaborative and supportive environment has been one of the most valuable aspects of my journey here at CSE.

Why did you want to be the commencement speaker?

There are two reasons. First, I wanted to represent all the voices that were similar to mine, but also show my uniqueness. Being a woman in science an technology is very difficult. Being an immigrant is very difficult. Being a first gen immigrant is even more difficult as is being an international student and being a person of color. These are all identities that I hold very dear to me, and I've struggled through it, but it has also strengthened me a lot. I think being able to voice all of those identities and being able to relate to my classmates at the same time is what was really enticing to me. My second reason, is just being able to show my gratitude to my support system here and back in India.

What are your plans after graduation?

Right after commencement, I'll be going to California for my summer internship, which is also with Oracle, as a software engineering intern. I will then come back to campus and finish up my master’s degree, which I started this past fall. I've already been taking some master’s-level courses, which has been super exciting. In the fall, I'll be pursuing more of my thesis. 

If you’d like to support students or research at the University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering, visit our CSE giving page.