PROFILE:
Divya Nayar

“I loved Lehigh’s size,” she says.  “As Goldilocks would say, it’s not too big and not too small, but just right. Lehigh also stood out for its undergraduate business program, which is strong and growing.”

Once she officially arrived on campus as a student, Nayar dove into the experience, sampling both the academic and social offerings. She soon began to realize her potential for personal growth and for contributing to the campus culture.

“I came to Lehigh knowing I wanted to get involved but had no idea I would have so many opportunities to make an impact, especially as an undergraduate,” she says. 

After an internship as an equities analyst at Barclays Capital and exposure to the world of Wall Street, the business major says she “caught the bug” and began to formalize plans for a post-college career as a global markets analyst. She’s also minoring in sociology to feed her fascination for the subject.

Despite her challenging academic schedule, Nayar finds time to be involved in several groups and organizations on campus, including the Alpha Omicron Pi sorority, the Student Senate, and the Global Citizenship program. She also serves as an admissions fellow and senior class treasurer.

Her experiences have contributed tremendously to her personal growth, says Nayar, who feels that she’s found her niche.

“Serving as president of the Student Senate as a junior really taught me how to best communicate and interact with my peers, faculty, and administration and how to engage my fellow senators and fellow undergrads on campus,” she says. “On a more personal level, I had to balance what felt like a thousand different commitments, an intense workload, other activities, and then an internship search. It really tested my mettle, and I believe I’m a stronger, more aware student as a result.”

Nayar says she also polished her leadership skills through her efforts to lobby Congress with the National Interfraternity Conference on behalf of the country’s Greek students, and through her study abroad experience in Cape Town, South Africa.

“That program really opened my eyes to a completely different part of the world,” she says. “I left with a renewed appreciation of the various people and collective culture I got to be a part of.”

Her advice for new students:  Try something new. “Once an individual is able to step out of his or her comfort zone, I think that’s the best opportunity for growth,” she says.