Anika Asher
Anika Asher is a Class of 2026 student double majoring in the Canfield Business Honors Program (Canfield BHP) and Math. Before coming to UT, Anika grew up in Allen, Texas, a part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. Currently, Anika is involved with Alpha Delta Pi, Texas Spirits, and Consult Your Community. Ever since high school, Anika has prioritized pursuing diverse opportunities that fulfilled her academic, personal, and professional interests.
Anika’s journey with Chinese began in high school. However, when Anika took an opportunity to study Chinese in Taiwan on a fully-funded government scholarship, she became way more immersed in the language and culture. She took a gap year to participate in the program, spending the first half of the year taking virtual classes and the second half in Taiwan. Besides intensive classes and 1:1 tutoring, Anika emphasizes the benefit of learning a new language through casual conversations with local students. Immersed in Taiwanese culture, Anika also got to know more than the textbook version of Chinese and saw firsthand how people use the language in real life. The highlight of her lessons in Taiwan was Anika’s final presentation, where she reenacted the reality TV show, The Bachelor, in Chinese. In her skit, Anika got to be creative, rewriting the plots so that all the dates went poorly and the protagonist ultimately proposed to the host. To retain her Chinese skills, Anika still speaks Chinese with the friends she made in Taiwan whenever they call, and she plans to revisit Taiwan during the winter break of the 2024-2025 school year.
After coming to UT, Anika initially struggled with the transition from studying one subject in-depth to having a core curriculum with a wide breadth of subjects. Additionally, she wanted to pursue another subject for the intrinsic value of learning, so she took many classes in her freshman spring to find the right fit. Choosing between everything from International Relations to Chinese, Anika ultimately decided on Mathematics. Instead of comparing herself to peers in the major, Anika focuses on the intellectual pursuit of pure math, taking courses like Abstract Linear Algebra and challenging herself to “understand how math works without the assumptions of our reality.”
During the summer after her freshman year, Anika continued venturing to other corners of the world through the Canfield BHP Copenhagen study abroad program. After the program, Anika continued her European journey by solo traveling through Hamberg, Berlin, and Prague. Traveling by train and being alone, Anika grew comfortable with spending days without conversations, learning to enjoy contemplating by herself for extended periods. Still, her trip was filled with fulfilling personal connections, from an American vintage store owner in Prague to friends at a locally owned hostel in Berlin.
For the upcoming summer, Anika will collect another traveling experience under her belt by going to work at a restaurant near Yellowstone National Park. First heard about this opportunity from her Canfield BHP friend Quinton Mendoza, Anika sought this job as a way to explore beyond her comfort zone of city life by conquering the outdoors.
As Anika expanded her worldview through traveling and academia, she followed a similar journey of discovery to solidify her professional interest in consulting. While she initially felt uncertain, attending the Out for Undergrad (O4U) business conference during her freshman spring changed her perspective. At the New York-based conference, Anika heard from and networked with LGBTQ+ peers and corporate representatives. Seeing successful LGBTQ+ individuals who felt no pressure to hide themselves and conform to a professional business stereotype, Anika realized this is what she wants her future to look like as well. O4U also further developed Anika’s interest in consulting, as she finds passion and intellectual stimulation in its blend of research and practical application. Hoping to promote this transformative opportunity to other LGBTQ+ UT students with similar doubts, Anika became an O4U campus ambassador, helping to bring 10+ people to O4U this year.
Looking into her junior year, Anika is excited to be a Canfield BHP peer mentor. She is excited to give back to this program, as its flexibility has supported her academic interest, and the program’s cohort has continuously inspired Anika to do newer, cooler things. As a peer mentor, Anika is excited to help underclassmen develop the mindset to pursue opportunities out of genuine enjoyment, not peer pressure or competition.