Ritika has always been interested in biology which is why she decided to apply to the biology program at the University of Illinois, but once she took her introductory biology courses, she knew MCB was the major for her: "I loved the details we learned in MCB 150 and as I continued through the upper-level MCB courses, that love and excitement towards biology continued. I also like that the curriculum is challenging and all the critical thinking skills I am learning for the career path I chose". Ritika's goal is to become a physician and because of this, she has been heavily involved in MCB as an MCB leader and in the campus medical fraternity, Phi Delta Epsilon. Being part of this fraternity introduced Ritika to a great community of pre-med students that support and motivate each other: "I've never felt that I am competing with my friends, we all have similar goals but respect each other's paths". She has held different positions in the fraternity, including becoming the president. Ritika has also been involved with Be The Match which is an organization that encourages people to register to become bone marrow donors.
Research has also been an important aspect of Ritika's experience at the University of Illinois. She joined the Body Composition Nutritional Science laboratory during her first semester of sophomore year and has assisted in the study on how nutrition affects cognition. On top of that, she has volunteered at two of our local hospitals where she has been able to interact with people in both the emergency and oncology departments. With her busy schedule, Ritika has great time management experience and advice: "The most amazing thing that his campus has to offer is the counseling center, they are a great resource. I wish I took advantage of it earlier. There is no point on tiring yourself out. You have a lot of time to accomplish all the things you want to do. Take care of your physical and mental health. Just pick the things that mean something to you and it is ok to admit that you can't do everything. Enjoy yourself, live in the moment".