Bhupender Pruthi’s journey began in Haryana, India, where his early education at KL Arya DAV Public School set the foundation for his career. He pursued a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering from the Government Institute of Engineering & Technology, followed by a Bachelor's in Mechanical Engineering from the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in Mumbai.
After various hands-on roles at Hero MotoCorp Ltd., Bhupender’s career took off. He spent over 15 years in India’s leading companies, working in roles ranging from production engineering to senior procurement management. His experience in mechanical engineering and management allowed him to take leadership roles, including heading business units and driving business development in sectors like LED lighting and auto industries.
In 2023, Bhupender embarked on a new academic journey, enrolling in Fairfield University’s Master of Science program in Management of Technology. Excelling with a 4.0 GPA, he also actively participates in the Indian Student Association, SAE BAJA Club, and the Student Library Advisory Board. The program’s focus on leadership, global strategy, and innovation complements his already vast experience, positioning him for a career at the intersection of technology and management.
Currently, Bhupender is pursuing new challenges in the U.S., working as a Graduate Resident Coordinator at Fairfield University while also interning at KATBOTZ LLC, blending his engineering background with expertise in technology and management. His story highlights a combination of technical know-how, leadership, and continuous learning as keys to his success.
1. What were the biggest challenges you faced when you first arrived in America, and how did you manage to overcome them?
Prior coming here my biggest challenge was to find an accommodation close to the university campus and then evaluate the mode of commute via the stag bus or shared transportation. This challenge took 2 months to address, I was able to find a place close to the stag bus route and it took 15-20 mins walk to reach there. Once this issue was addressed the next big thing was to know the city, its people and the lifestyle. Sometimes, while going back to my place, I explored my surroundings by walking into the streets to see what the city has to offer like groceries store, dining places etc. It was tiring but a great experience for me.
The next challenge I faced was the adjusting to the academic curriculum and the class schedules. The teaching methodologies appeared easier in the beginning but became intense by the passing weeks, keeping up with the pace became tough with every hour spent in the class. My courses were intense with theories, case studies and research work. I set the bar of expectations higher for myself and did spend more time in studying and getting to know the community. The university’s ecosystem, especially the library resources and the community engagement, provided the much need support and guidance achieve the academic success and a great learning experience.
The other inevitable challenge was to connect and engage with the other communities, student clubs and organizations at campus with majority of students half of my age, I would say a generation gap of 2 decades. Initially I tried to act like I understand the young minds and their enthusiasm, but sooner I realized it was very much overwhelming for me to absorb all of it. This experience made me more mindful of my interactions and meaningful conversations allowing me to understand the norm here.
2. How does the environment in the U.S. and at Fairfield differ from what you were used to back home?
There are many differences, the big one is the social behavior, which I observed and found is openness and respect in interaction if one resonates the same. In my culture we practice the concept of “You First” and I found it is exactly the norm here and everyone appreciates being honored in social context. The next good thing I learnt here during my experience interacting with people is that the culture of giving away is appreciated much by every community. People here are open to dialogues and conversation; they are very expressive and full of empathy and this can become a starting point to a great friendship. The other noticeable things are different food tastes, eating habits, lifestyles, lower population density and well-developed facilities. On the contrary, Indian economy is on the rise and making sound progress in all the business sectors and uplifting the living standards. People are efficient with the given resources, know how to persevere in extreme hardships, God fearing and value the relationships. Public transport and other modes of commute are far better accessible and cheaper in India as compared to United States because of population density.
3. Have you participated in any campus activities or organizations? If so, how have they helped with your transition?
The day I entered the campus and saw a glimpse of diverse student community, I was very impressed to see and meet people directly or indirectly connected with my culture. I joined a lot of clubs / associations to blend with the student communities by being an active member in their event programming and activities. I took the opportunity to program and execute one of the biggest festival celebrations of India – Diwali: The Festival of Lights, at the university campus in the Fall 23 semester. The community engagement was great and people from all background and colors came together to enjoy the vibrant Indian culture. Based on the success, I re-started my own student organization known as Indian Student Association, which was in-active post Covid-19 pandemic.
Another big personal achievement of my association with one of the student organizations gave me an opportunity to follow my passion in automobiles. I participated in a university sponsored SAE Baja Offroad Racing Competition at Pennsylvania College of Technology in the Summer of 2024 wherein our team developed an offroad vehicle completely from scratch that performed extremely well in the 4-hour endurance race acquiring 16th place among the 109 participants in the competition.
I also was a team member in one of the School of Engineering student projects – NASA Suits, a competition sponsored by NASA wherein university teams present their ideas and solution for technological advancements. This project gave me a great insight how the augmented reality can be utilized in unmanned exploration projects anywhere on our planet. In my opinion, such initiatives provide a unique opportunity to students fostering their creativity and great team dynamics.
I also participated in few Interfaith talk sessions wherein everyone reads each other’s religious texts or verses to understand the philosophy of religion.
This transition helped me to hone my skill sets which I acquired in my more than 2 decades of experience. I made meaningful connections and cherished memorable moments with students, faculties and people. I must say that all such endeavors are a rewarding experience one should look forward to.
4. How has this experience of studying abroad shaped your perspective, both personally and academically?
I come from a country rich in diversity and cultural values and I am proud of being cultivated in such an environment that I believe in principles of “Compassion, Tolerance & Forbearance”. It is a continuous and ever evolving process in cultivating self and achieving a larger purpose in life.
The environment here at Fairfield University is very supportive to student diversity and inclusion. I love the events and programs run by student clubs and other departments focused on the community and social engagement wherein some programs are especially designed to bring the international student from other cultures and geographies together and connect with each other. Everyone here is welcomed to celebrate their festivals and cultural traditions which in turn fosters a stronger community.
The academic experience is great here with faculties and mentors providing students with all the resources to succeed academically and professionally. However, I still feel that there is a lot to improve when it comes to what a student wants to study viz a viz what is available to them in their course outline, as there are some concentrations which are not made available due to negligible registrations.
I have had a good experience in the class discussions and case study presentations as a part of course curriculum where students get an opportunity to express their ideas, understanding and finding out a solution to the real-world problems. Such an approach is very conducive for a personal and professional growth allowing the students to understand each other’s perspective, cultural background and experiences.
5. What has been the most rewarding part of your experience so far?
This is a great place to learn and make meaningful connections while being focused on academics. I appreciate deeper intellectual connection and invest my time and efforts in cultivating a life-long bond. I am inching towards finding my new self who is more balanced and prepared to face challenges in future.
My prior experience, perspective and approach has been very well appreciated by everyone here at campus. As an intangible benefit I have been offered a position of Graduate Resident Coordinator for a residence hall at campus, to look after the resident student engagement and programming initiatives to build a better and safe community.
