17-year-old Georgia Tech senior starts international mission trip
At 17, college student ready to graduate
While most 17-year-olds are preparing to graduate from high school, Savi Agarwal is about to receive her degree from Georgia Tech. She will have done in two years, what usually takes four, and at such a young age. This summer, she plans to use what she has learned for something incredible.
ATLANTA - It's common for first-year college students to move across the country and live on campus, but when Savi Agarwal started classes at Georgia Institute of Technology at 15 years old, she and her family uprooted themselves from suburban Connecticut to make the Peach State their home.
"Tech does not provide housing to students under 16," she said.
Most people her age are preparing to graduate high school, but Savi is spearheading a medical mission trip to Honduras, and she hasn’t even turned 18. The 17-year-old college senior says she wants people to know it's possible to earn accolades and still know how to have fun.
By the end of the year, she'll have a degree in biomedical engineering and two minors. She will have completed what most people take four years to finish, in just two.
"I’ve immersed myself in a lot of different experiences, whether clinical experiences, or engaged with on campus clubs," she said.
Her ultimate goal is to become a doctor in a needy region.
"I want to spread my impact through low-income and rural communities
And she's already doing that.
She founded a local chapter of an organization called Global Medical Brigades.
She spoke with FOX5's Alex Whittler Thursday in between meetings for her upcoming medical trip.
Next Saturday, Savi will lead other students on a mission to Honduras to provide donated medical supplies to communities with extreme needs.
"We’ll provide medical infrastructure they don’t have right now," she said. "It’s not just a week-long trip, and we leave them hanging afterward."
Savi says when people learn about her accomplishments, they assume she never comes up for air.
"Every Friday at 5 o’clock, I clock out," Savi said.
She's president of the figure skating club, travels, paints, swims and plays tennis.
She says she's sharing her fast-tracked life, not to brag, but to prove your passions can fuel your goals and your hobbies.
From Georgia Tech, Savi wants to go to medical school. She's got her eyes on institutions on two opposite coasts: Harvard and Stanford.