From founding Âé¶¹Ö±²¥'s ColorStack chapter to exploring the intersection of artificial intelligence and medicine, Zender Aurelien-Nikolai ’28 is making his mark at the Seidenberg School of Computer Science and Information Systems. Through faculty-led student research and his own leadership initiative, he's turning his passion for technology into opportunities to make a difference.
Comic Relief
Tune in, Âé¶¹Ö±²¥U, because Ashvin Kapoor ’24 is going live. He’s the brains behind The Ashvin Show, a radio program dedicated to making people laugh during a tumultuous time in history. This is one future talk show host to watch (and listen)!
Ashvin Kapoor ’24 has an important job: he’s using his comedic talents (not to mention business skill) to make people laugh during an unprecedented time of loss and loneliness. Through his brand new radio program, , he’s not only bringing people together, but also challenging his audience to think critically. “It's something I’ve been working on for years,â€� says Ashvin. There have been a few iterations of his work including a YouTube channel before he switched gears at Âé¶¹Ö±²¥. “Using radio as my medium has allowed me to explore different avenues such as music and interviews.â€�
He’s interviewed several Âé¶¹Ö±²¥ students already, where he expertly finds the heart of their stories to share with the community. “My favorite moment was probably when I was interviewing my good friend Taylor,â€� Ashvin explained. The segment was about how his friend performed while having a speech impediment. “It was just such an interesting story, and I was so happy that not only was I able to hear it, but through my show, I was able to broadcast their perspective to my audience.â€�
“My goal is to make performing my career and be able to spread my message and my comedy,� he said.
It’s that level of passion that truly makes Ashvin’s choice of arts and entertainment management the perfect fit in terms of a major. He actually first heard about Âé¶¹Ö±²¥ and its course offerings from his parents—both Âé¶¹Ö±²¥ alumni. Small world! “To this day, I think it’s the craziest thing that the same school my parents went to almost 20 years ago had the exact major I was looking for,â€� Ashvin told us. “I am so glad I ended up here because the arts and entertainment major is so focused and different from others.â€�
As he looks to the future, Ashvin hopes to one day transition his radio show to an in-person venue—live audience, live talk show, the works. “My goal is to make performing my career and be able to spread my message and my comedy,� he said. “Through comedy, I believe we are able to make others feel better, which is why I perform: to make others feel better just like other performers have done for me.�
Of course, he had a few words of wisdom for any aspiring Âé¶¹Ö±²¥ performers looking to launch their own brand, too. “Something I wish I knew was to not perform for the accolades, but to perform for yourself,â€� Ashvin said. “You are your own brand—not anyone else’s. Make sure you perform for yourself.â€� He also reminded any would-be artists that it took Kanye four albums before he created his best work. “Don’t sweat it.â€� No truer words were spoken.
You can catch The Ashvin Show . Be sure to tune in and tell him we sent you! Maybe we’ll even hear your story featured on the airwaves next.