How has ISM benefitted Ritvik Ramakrishnan?

"ISM has positively transformed my line of thinking in regards to the professional world. For instance, my communication and presentation skills have sharpened after gaining feedback from my mentor and Mr. Pirtle. I have also found immense value in the world of networking and connections. To date, I have made hundreds, if not, thousands of connections, and especially through the historical era of the CoronaVirus, I have been able to network and connect with hundreds of individuals all over the world on a daily basis. Without ISM, I would not be who I am today."

What was a challenge they faced and overcame?

"When I initially proposed my idea of utilizing city traffic data to drive insights into reducing delays in traffic signal timing, many of my ISM peers and even my ISM teacher rejected the idea. However, I persevered, created a pitch deck, and reached out to the city of Frisco to convey my idea. Surprisingly, they found the idea intriguing and gave me access to extremely useful databases."

Advice

"If you're taking ISM because your parents are making you, please drop this class. Only take this class if you as an individual are going to take a deeper interest in your own learning. And I know that sounds harsh, however, the truth of the matter is the most successful ISM students are the ones who self-advocate, are self-driven, and don't need someone to hold their hand to do the things they want to do. Also, it's always better to do more than less. If Mr. Pirtle requires 5 interviews, complete 10. Similarly, if Mr. Pirtle requires 3 pages for a Research Assessment, do 4-6 instead. Do all of this while ensuring that Quality > Quantity."