She left her small town to study computer science and mathematics in another city, becoming the first person in her family to pursue that path. But college did not offer the technology-focused environment she had hoped for.

With little tech culture on campus and no one to guide her, Khushi had to figure out how to enter the technology industry on her own.Years later, she graduated with an 8.5-plus CGPA, built a mental health app selected among the top 15 private solution apps during Google Compose Camp, and created a technology community of more than 1,000 members at her college. In a post on X on September 23, she shared how her college years involved coding, health setbacks, rejected internship offers and efforts to help other students discover technology.

She taught herself coding without a tech mentor

Khushi did not pursue engineering. Instead, she enrolled in a computer science and mathematics programme after moving away from her hometown.Her college had little technology culture, and many students around her were preparing for government examinations. While she wanted to build a career in tech, she struggled to find peers with similar interests or anyone who could guide her through the process.She began teaching herself coding, building projects and participating in coding competitions and hackathons.

Much of this journey happened independently, as she could not find a group of students pursuing similar opportunities.Alongside her academic work, she joined the gym and yoga club in her first year and continued working as a fitness content creator.

Health setbacks and hostel experiences disrupted her college life

Her first year brought serious health problems. Khushi said she fell seriously ill while living in the hostel and had to stop YouTube, which had been a major source of income for her at the time.She also faced mental health difficulties linked to her hostel experiences and past friendships.Hoping for a fresh start, she moved out of the hostel into a flat. However, the following year brought further health problems and difficult experiences.At one point, she wanted to drop out of college but said family commitments prevented her from doing so.Despite these setbacks, she continued working on technology projects and exploring opportunities in the industry.

Her mental health app was selected for Google Compose Camp

One of the projects Khushi developed during college was a mental health app. According to her post, it was selected among the top 15 private solution apps built during Google Compose Camp.She also received several internship offers. However, she had to reject them because the positions required onsite work and her college would not issue the necessary no-objection certificate (NOC).The experience meant that securing an opportunity was not always enough.

Institutional requirements and restrictions on working outside college also affected the opportunities she could accept.

She built a 1,000-member tech community on campus

Khushi’s work gradually expanded beyond her own projects.She became a Google Developer Student Clubs (GDSC) lead and a Microsoft Learn Student Ambassador (MLSA). She organised events and hackathons and said she helped educate more than 5,000 people in cloud technology.She also built a technology community of more than 1,000 members on her college campus, helping develop a tech culture that she said had barely existed when she joined.The impact continued after graduation. Khushi said she still receives messages from juniors who started technology communities at their own colleges after seeing what she had done.

She graduated with 8.5-plus CGPA and joined a company

Despite juggling academics, technology projects, community-building activities and personal challenges, Khushi graduated with an 8.5-plus CGPA.She joined a company soon after completing her degree, describing the transition as the fresh beginning she needed.Reflecting on her college years, she wrote that the experience had completely changed the direction of her life.Her account also shows how her technology journey extended beyond formal coursework. She learned coding independently, built projects, organised events and created opportunities for other students while navigating health problems and restrictions on internships.Disclaimer: This article is based on a public post shared by Khushi on X. TOI Education has not independently verified the personal account, project selection or employment details.