Samhith Simha Rao

• My CAS project helped me develop a better understanding of my strengths and weaknesses. Summarizing and discussing major events on a podcast allowed me to explore my interests and reflect on my personal growth.
• Through my podcast project, I developed critical skills such as creativity in presenting content, and problem-solving. These skills will be important in my future studies, especially in AI, where creativity and problem-solving are key.
• Taking the lead in managing the podcast showed me how to take initiative, take a risk, or even aspire to go out of my comfort zone. I had to stay committed to producing quality content each month.
• Working with my peer on the podcast helped me to improve my collaboration skills, share ideas, and create something together. Allowing me to fit into fields such as AI, where collaboration with others is crucial to success.

In my lengthy study, I studied the effects of COVID-19 on silicone shortages and their implications for the German car industry. Since I had to collect and evaluate an abundance of information from different sources, this project greatly assisted me to improve my research abilities. I gained a stronger understanding of how to critically assess material after learning how to sort through both qualitative and quantitative data. The essay also enhanced my capacity to properly and concisely convey complicated concepts. Although it was difficult, writing and structuring my ideas helped me improve my written communication abilities. Over the course of several months, I learnt how to prioritise activities, maintain organisation, and meet deadlines, skills that are critical for any academic task. I will be able to use these experiences to tackle complicated problems, analyse data, and collaborate with others in a career that continuously demands creativity and critical thinking as I work towards a Bachelor of Artificial Intelligence.

• Being Part of the student council at the International School of Utrecht further developed my communication skills and leadership, taking charge of improving the student body's academic experience to better fulfil their needs and wants.
• The guided leadership of the principal of our school has further strengthened my organizational and strategic planning skills.
• After having hosted multiple school events and class bonding experiences, we increased our cohort's international mindedness.
• We have worked diligently to reduce the school workload on our peers' minds by reducing the number of classes required to elect, to further boost morale.

• Assisted in training new employees on store procedures, fostering teamwork and promoting a knowledgeable workforce.
• Unloaded arriving product stock and moved to store display areas.
• Increased efficiency by participating in regular team meetings to discuss workplace strategies and streamline processes.
• Participated in inventory audits, contributing to accurate stock counts and minimizing discrepancies.