Satorupa Karamakar

Crucial Success Skills Forged Through My Journey

Three key skills that have enabled my accomplishments are research, communication, and analytical thinking. My research skills were strengthened during my housing rights internship conducting interviews and analyzing legal cases to support a project on homelessness. This required clear communication to effectively engage diverse stakeholders from slum residents to court officials. 

Additionally, analytical skills were critical in my content role with the Urban Liveability Forum. By studying their social media, I provided targeted recommendations that better connected them to professionals. Overall, I have cultivated multifaceted research abilities that equip me to carry out qualitative and quantitative work. My communication capacity has brought value in areas like community engagement and conveying insights. 

Furthermore, analytical thinking has enabled me to unravel problems and highlight impactful solutions. Sharpening these transferable skills has already contributed to organizations in fields ranging from housing equity to sustainable urban planning. As I progress in my public sector career, I look forward to engaging these capabilities for positive change. Whether compiling data or conveying recommendations, research, communication and analysis will accelerate my contributions.

Crafting Creative Opportunities from Every Challenge

Throughout my academic and early professional experiences, I have learned the importance of maintaining a solutions-focused mindset when facing adversity. As an intern at organizations like the Housing and Land Rights Network and the Urban Liveability Forum, I gained firsthand exposure to complex social issues like homelessness and urban inequality. 

Though these challenges seemed daunting at first, I aimed to contribute constructively through diligent research, creative problem-solving, and an empathetic approach. For instance, during my internship analyzing slum eviction cases in Delhi, I strove to understand all perspectives through interviews and group discussions with residents. This taught me that overcoming challenges requires considering diverse viewpoints, building connections, and focusing on practical improvements. 

I also learned the value of adaptability when projects like developing website content for ULF required adjusting to evolving priorities. Overall, when confronting obstacles, I anchor myself in optimism and determination. I reflect on past experiences to spur innovation, collaboration, and growth. Each challenge presents an opportunity to demonstrate perseverance, leadership, and an openness to new solutions. By embracing adversity as a chance for improvement, I have emerged more resilient, empathetic and prepared for future obstacles. These lessons have shaped my mindset and served me well across academic and professional pursuits.

My Impact

Throughout my academic career and early internship experiences, I have strived to create positive impact, however small, through community-engaged work, research, and contributing my skills where needed. As an intern with the Housing and Land Rights Network, I assisted research aiming to uplift some of India's most vulnerable groups - the homeless and slum residents facing eviction. 

By conducting interviews and discussions to understand these groups' perspectives, I helped provide an empathetic lens on complex socio-economic issues. This taught me how even small research contributions can raise awareness and inform more inclusive urban planning and policymaking. During my Urban Liveability Forum internship, I assisted with content creation, social media engagement, and onboarding urban professionals to share best practices. 

By highlighting diverse voices and connecting people, I contributed to broader conversations on urban liveability and sustainability. I also presented original research on responsive pandemic planning for the homeless at a national conference. By proposing actionable and socially conscious recommendations, I aimed to positively shape discussions on supporting marginalized groups. 

Overall, I believe my academic work and community-engaged internship experiences have allowed me to meaningfully engage with social issues and influence change, however small. I have learned that progress requires uplifting diverse voices, fostering connections, and maintaining empathy. Through these efforts, I hope to continue positively impacting my community and field.

Scaling New Heights in Personal and Professional Triumphs

Throughout my academic journey so far, including pursuing my PhD from IIT Delhi and University of Queensland, I have measured success not just by traditional benchmarks like grades or degrees, but by how meaningfully I am able to apply my skills to create positive change. During my internships with organizations like the Urban Liveability Forum and Housing and Land Rights Network, my goal was to contribute high-quality research and content that could inform more inclusive and ethical urban planning and policymaking. 

Being able to produce actionable recommendations on issues like homelessness through firsthand research and interviews was an important personal benchmark. I also measure success by how effectively I can communicate complex issues as an aspiring urban planner and researcher. For instance, having my original research on pandemic planning for the homeless selected for a national conference was a benchmark for successfully distilling a complex issue into cogent insights. 

As I progress through my PhD, I aim to deepen my expertise in sustainable urban development and produce innovative research that can positively impact communities. Overall, my criteria for success focus on developing knowledge and skills that can uplift people and communities. I aim to continuously expand my thinking, communicate insights effectively, and produce work through my research and career that ethically engages with challenging real-world issues. While traditional metrics like academic results are important, my personal definition of success prioritizes using my talents meaningfully.

The Synergy Between My Path and Recognition Values

Through my academic journey and early career, I have embodied values of social responsibility, community-minded research, and using knowledge to positively impact people's lives. As seen in my internships and original research presentations, I aim to uplift excluded voices and apply my skills to tackle complex issues like homelessness and urban inequality. 

The empathy, diligent research, and solutions-focused thinking demonstrated in these experiences epitomize the spirit of this recognition. Additionally, my focus on creating actionable insights that can inform more ethical and inclusive policymaking aligns with the award's goals of fostering social change. For instance, my research on improving pandemic response for marginalized groups illustrated my commitment to compassionate planning that supports society's most vulnerable. As I progress through my PhD at IIT Delhi and University of Queensland, I am deepening expertise in sustainable urban planning, honing research skills to uncover new insights, and centering community-engaged work. 

This continuous expansion of knowledge epitomizes the award's values of learning and growth in service to society. Overall, my determination to uplift people, devotion to community-minded research, and ethos of using my talents meaningfully embody the spirit of this recognition. I aim to continue conducting work guided by empathy, social responsibility, and care for all people. My journey so far has prepared me to make positive change in urban policy and research, aligning strongly with the values that this award stands for.