Cultivating Confidence Through Connection

Before joining the EQUIP undergraduate fellowship, Suvan Sudan faced a challenge that many students can relate to: strengthening the communication and networking skills he knew would matter for internships and professional life after college. 

He already had the technical foundation from his mechanical engineering courses, yet he recognized the value in cultivating confidence in connection. What he found in EQUIP was a community that helped him build those skills faster than he expected.

"The whole process naturally puts you in a place where you are surrounded by people from different backgrounds," Suvan said. "Having to connect with the other fellows helps you develop the skillset to talk to new people, and the activities encourage that at a much faster pace." While he enjoyed the content of the sessions, what stood out most were the group activities and conversations. He liked the mix of perspectives within the cohort and felt that the shared interest in career growth helped everyone stay engaged and supportive of one another.

From EQUIP to Real-World Experience

After completing EQUIP, Suvan stepped into roles that pushed him beyond the classroom. One of the most meaningful opportunities came through a connection made by the EQUIP instructor and coach, who introduced him to EpiSense, a student startup developing a wearable device to help predict seizures. Suvan joined the team as the lead hardware engineer and worked with them for six months designing a durable, comfortable, and cost-effective prototype. The team won the Big Bang! Business Competition that year, securing $25,000 in funding.

Working with EpiSense exposed him to fast-paced engineering, funding pitches, and the realities of building a product from the ground up. It gave him a clearer understanding of how a business operates and how innovation moves from idea to impact.

The summer after EQUIP, Suvan completed two internships. His first was at Addverb Technologies in India, where he worked on mechanical design for autonomous warehouse robots. His second internship was at the University of Maryland Robotics Center in College Park, where he built a soft robotic gripper for underwater oyster collection. The contrast between a large corporate engineering setting and a slower-paced academic research environment helped him understand the range of engineering careers available to him.

Looking Ahead

Suvan graduated in June 2025 with a BS in Mechanical Engineering and now works as a Manufacturing Engineer at Penumbra, Inc. in Roseville, CA. Being so early in his career, Suvan is eager to learn and gain experience. His long-term plan is to join his family business, which manufactures greenhouses and produces metal powder for additive manufacturing. He hopes to contribute to the growth of agricultural technology and is interested in exploring new possibilities in advanced manufacturing.

Suvan also hopes to pursue ideas of his own one day. "I would like to see any kind of entrepreneurship and innovation, any idea I can take to scale," he said. "And do something that gives back to society."

Advice for Future Fellows

For students considering EQUIP, Suvan encourages taking the leap. He believes the mix of majors, experiences, and shared goals makes the program uniquely valuable.

"You meet people from different perspectives. Everyone is trying to learn what they can to get an internship or job, and that shared goal makes the experience really meaningful," he said.