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“I was so shy when I started college, and I’m still generally a shy person,” said Rao, who graduated Saturday. “But what I discovered here, through the encouragement of my friends and professors, was that my voice matters.”

The general business student first became involved on campus by joining the sorority Phi Sigma Sigma. She calls the organization her “gateway organization” since her positive experiences with the group gave her confidence to seek out additional leadership opportunities.

“At first it was intimidating to think of myself as a leader,” she said. “But becoming a leader is about overcoming that fear because people are counting on me.”

She became a sociology supplemental instructor (SI), a panelist for the Elect Her leadership conference for women, a Student Government (SG) senator and chair of SG’s student academic affairs committee.

Through her involvement on campus, Rao said she’s witnessed how a group of people coming together can make a difference. She’s raised money for charitable causes through Greek Life and helped provide students with everything from additional white boards in the University Center to stronger blue campus safety lights through her work with Student Government.

And seeing positive results has planted seeds of inspiration for the future.

Rao has taken the LSAT and plans to apply to law school this winter. While she’s still narrowing her career options—she’s thinking corporate social responsibility or environmental—she’s focused on a career that will, as she says, help her give back to society and make a positive impact.

“When you’re on this campus, you have so many leadership opportunities and you get to really do things,” she said. “And because I’ve been able to make a difference on campus, I’ve been given this encouragement that I can make a difference out in the world too.”