Alumni Spotlight Series: Shreya Iyer

Shreya Iyer is a rising Sophomore at Georgia Tech majoring in Electrical Engineering with a focus on signal processing, robotics, and autonomy. Since her time as an RSM Lexington student, Shreya has had the opportunity to serve as a Fellow at MassRobotics, interned at Boeing, and conducted research at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory. Learn more about Shreya's experience at RSM in this question and answer blog.

Can you tell us how your journey with RSM began?

I started at RSM in third grade and still remember walking into my first class and quickly realizing that this wasn’t just a regular math class. Even though it felt challenging at first, I was excited to dive into topics that were more advanced than what was typically offered at school. Even at a young age, I could tell that RSM was a place where I’d be challenged to think deeply, take responsibility for my learning, and build a strong foundation in problem solving – skills that have stayed with me ever since.

What is one of your favorite memories from your time as an RSM student?

One of the most memorable experiences I had at RSM was working on a data science research paper as part of a Project-Based Research Class. Our team had the unique opportunity to collaborate with a local university professor and highly regarded researchers, giving us a glimpse into the inner workings of industry-level research while still in high school. As part of this experience, we became the first high school group in the 55+ year history of the New England Educational Research Organization (NEERO) conference to ever be accepted and present. I’m incredibly grateful for these unique opportunities and the way RSM encouraged me to think beyond the classroom and apply my knowledge in meaningful, real-world ways.

Where has life taken you since your time at RSM?

I am a rising second-year student and Stamps President’s Scholar at Georgia Tech, majoring in Electrical Engineering with a focus on signal processing, robotics, and autonomy. I’ve had the opportunity to be a Fellow at MassRobotics, a leading robotics startup incubator, and interned at Boeing’s Aerospace and Autonomy Center (Aurora Flight Sciences) on cutting-edge commercial research integrating hardware, software, and human factors. I have also conducted research at the MIT Lincoln Laboratory for two summers: first, optimizing signal processing algorithms and designing chips for satellite payloads, and more recently, working on 3D reconstruction for computer vision and digital image processing frameworks. Across these experiences, I am driven by a passion for blending engineering and research to tackle real-world challenges with tangible impact.

Do you feel that RSM prepared you for what you're doing now?

Absolutely! RSM gave me the analytical foundation and mental endurance I needed to be admitted to highly selective engineering programs like MIT, Harvard, UPenn, Georgia Tech, and UC Berkeley – and to thrive in one of them. More than that, it instilled in me a love for learning and the confidence to tackle challenging problems and persevere. The rigorous problem-solving skills I developed at RSM have been invaluable in my college studies and research projects. Most importantly, RSM taught me to see challenges as opportunities to grow, and that mindset has been a guiding principle in everything I do.

Do you stay in touch with any classmates from your RSM days?

Some of my closest friends came from RSM! I even ran into a few of them when I attended MIT and Harvard’s Admitted Student Days, which was such a fun and unexpected way to reconnect. It’s been so rewarding to reminisce about our RSM days, stay in touch, and see all the incredible things my former classmates have accomplished as we each pursue our individual paths. It really reminds me that the future is being shaped by the hard work and curiosity we cultivated in those RSM classrooms from our younger days. 

Were there any math topics that felt especially challenging at first but eventually made sense?

Definitely – combinatorics was a real challenge! I found it intimidating at first because combinatorics felt so counterintuitive. Once I grasped the logic behind it and saw how it could be applied to real-world problems like game theory, it became one of my favorite topics. That experience taught me the value of patience and revisiting tough ideas with fresh eyes. It’s a mindset I still apply today when I hit a roadblock in engineering and research.

How do you think RSM has shaped your life – not just academically, but personally as well?

RSM shaped me in so many ways; academically, it gave me discipline and a deep love for problem solving, but personally, it taught me resilience and the value of being part of a community that is incredibly capable and supportive. Those lessons of perseverance, curiosity, and connection continue to guide me everyday and I’m so grateful to RSM for helping shape me into who I am today.

If you could share one piece of advice with today’s RSM students, what would it be?

My advice would be to embrace the challenge; nothing worthwhile comes without hard work and struggle. Every problem you face at RSM is preparing you for bigger problems down the road. Trust that the effort you put in now will pay off in ways you might not even expect!

Thank you for sharing your story, Shreya! We wish you the best of luck this fall as you start your Sophomore year at Georgia Tech!