“Where Are They Now?” - ACC Alumnus George Pandya

George Pandya enrolled in Arapahoe Community College’s (ACC) Concurrent Enrollment (CE) program in the spring of 2012 as he concluded eighth grade. For Pandya, the move was a calculated one; his goal was to amass college credit during high school to get a jump start on his post-secondary education. He did just that and more, earning a pair of associate degrees before concluding high school and excelling in multiple organizations during his time at ACC.

Pandya earned associate degrees in General Studies and Mathematics in 2015, followed by another associate degree in History simultaneous to his graduation from STEM School Highlands Ranch in the spring of 2016.

“I was able to work with CE staff at ACC and at STEM School to map out a great plan,” explains Pandya, who also completed a Computer Science certificate at ACC. "CE was a valuable tool in helping me earn college credit during high school. It saved me time and money along my educational journey, and I was able to enjoy valuable experiences that I might otherwise have missed out on."

While at ACC, Pandya was inducted into ACC’s Sigma Phi Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, and served as Vice President of Leadership, as well as President. Pandya, who earned recognition as a Coca-Cola Academic Team Silver Scholar in the spring of 2016, was also involved with the History Club and the Colorado Space Grant Consortium during his time at ACC.

"Being involved in clubs and organizations was more than just a way to stay engaged, it was a great way to network with faculty, staff and classmates," Pandya said.

During his time at ACC, Pandya facilitated initiatives to introduce STEM fields to elementary and middle school students, organized food drives to benefit the homeless, and tutored underperforming classmates. In 2015, his research paper entitled “An Investigation into the Correlation Between a President’s Approval Rating and the Performance of His Party in the Midterm Elections” was published in the Cornell University Library.

Upon his graduation from ACC and STEM School, Pandya was one of 50 students worldwide to be selected for the prestigious Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn). He went on to earn dual bachelor’s degrees at Penn in 2020; one in Economics (concentration in Operations and Information Decisions) from Penn’s Wharton School (considered one of the most prestigious business schools in the world), and the other in Mechanical Engineering & Applied Mechanics from the School of Engineering & Applied Science. Pandya also earned a pair of graduate degrees from Penn in 2021, including a master's degree in Nanotechnology, and an ML from Penn’s Carey Law School.

From 2017-19, Pandya started and ran a biotech company – working with immunotherapies – called CytoFoundry. He also interned for 3 summers (2015, 2016 and 2017) at United Launch Alliance, working with the Human Spaceflight, Systems Engineering and Safety Engineering departments.

Pandya is now working as a Commercial Banking Associate at Capital One in New York City, underwriting and managing portfolios for the commercial lending book. He also successfully completed two internships (Commercial Banking, and Product Management & Analytics) at Capital One.

Since 2016, he has served as a board member for Front Range BEST, a Colorado-based non-profit organization that promotes engineering, science, and technology robotics competitions for middle and high school students. Pandya also spent 3 years (2016-19) as the Chief Operating Officer for Starts with Soap, an organization he founded to provide basic necessities to underfunded schools across the country.

"Concurrent Enrollment helped put me in a great position to begin my college education at an early age. I would most certainly recommend taking advantage of all that CE has to offer,” says Pandya. “It was a smart financial move, and it helped accelerate my education. It also opened a world of opportunities for my future.”

Contact the ACC Concurrent Enrollment program today to learn more about enrolling in courses at your high school.