International Student Leads 180,000 at ASU While on F-1 Visa

At 18 years old and on a student visa, Shaurya Manglik took on what many would consider impossible: leading 180,000 students as Arizona State University's student body president.

He didn't just hold the title. Manglik managed a budget exceeding $1 million, led a team of over 60 people, and traveled to the U.S. Capitol to advocate for students alongside Senator Mark Kelly.

"The students and institution trusted me with real responsibility," says Manglik, who graduates this spring from Barrett, The Honors College. "I was the first international student to serve in this role."

The robotics engineering major chose ASU specifically for its interdisciplinary approach to solving real problems. His degree combines mechanical systems, embedded electronics, and software with a minor in technological entrepreneurship and management.

As a Grand Challenges Scholar focused on sustainability, Manglik sees engineering as more than technical work. He believes solutions should be efficient, scalable, ethical, and deeply human in their impact.

One of his proudest projects involved building a natural language-controlled robotic manipulation system around a Dobot robot arm. The hands-on experience directly shaped how he approaches industrial automation problems today.

Why This Inspires

Manglik's journey shows what happens when institutions trust talent over background. Leading student government taught him to make decisions affecting people he'd never meet, to build coalitions, and to operate with incomplete information.

Those leadership lessons made him a sharper engineer. "That experience forced me to think about systems at a scale where the stakes are not abstract," he explains.

His story also opens doors for future international students who might wonder if they belong in American leadership roles. By creating concrete policy changes and increasing student resources during his tenure, Manglik demonstrated that diverse perspectives strengthen communities.

After graduation, he's continuing at ASU's Polytechnic campus to pursue an accelerated master's degree in robotics and autonomous systems. The student who arrived searching for the perfect fit has become proof that belonging is something you create, not something you're born into.