For 20 year old Suraj Buddhavarapu, a love of building things is at the core of his identity. As a middle schooler, it meant repurposing lawn mower engines onto go-karts, constructing bicycles in his garage, and assembling small remote-control robots. As a high schooler, it meant leading a project to build a 9-foot liquid bipropellant rocket, converting a Mazda sports car into an electric vehicle, and establishing a student-led startup company determined to redefine how consumers interact with wearable fitness products. Suraj has always welcomed new opportunities to diversify his experience. Following two climate change documentaries for the University Of Washington School Of Environmental Science, he joined a team of students to draft a preliminary United Nations treaty for the allocation of international funds to help developing nations industrialize responsibly. As a freshman studying mechanical engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology, Suraj has shown interest in several engineering and entrepreneurial organizations, including Yellow Jackets Space Program, GT Solar Racing, Startup Exchange, and CreateX Entrepreneurial Incubator. Outside of school and extracurriculars, Suraj loves playing in cello ensembles, mountain biking, backcountry skiing, and tinkering with hobby projects.