When Ruthvik Jonna first got to the Forty Acres, he was a completely different person, and he’s glad for it. Throughout high school, Ruthvik was certain he was headed for a career in medicine. However, a summer spent immersed in medical experiences before his senior year made him realize he wanted to explore a wider range of interests, ultimately leading him to Canfield BHP. He was intrigued that so many students in Canfield BHP combined business with other fields, and while medicine had always been his main focus, the flexibility of the program allowed him to explore new possibilities like pre-law that he had not originally considered. Now a third-year student pursuing a triple degree in Canfield Business Honors, Management Information Systems, and Sustainability Studies along with a Minor in Computer Science, Ruthvik is making the most of every opportunity to explore, build, and push himself beyond what he once thought was possible.
Among his many classes at UT, two Canfield BHP courses stand out as especially pivotal for Ruthvik. To start, Professor Bennett’s STA 235H course went beyond just teaching foundational data science concepts and gave him his first exposure to machine learning, which he later expanded on through side projects outside of class. These experiences not only deepened his analytical skills but also gave him a stronger foundation to draw from during his technical interviews with NVIDIA. The second course that made a major impact was Professor Prilipko’s BA 324H class, focused on business communication. Through a mix of written assignments, presentations, and real-world practice, Ruthvik learned how to structure ideas clearly and grab an audience’s attention, skills that pushed him far outside his comfort zone. In fact, the skills he developed in BA 324H have continued to show up throughout college, helping him deliver startup pitches, lead team presentations, write internship reports, and craft project proposals.
On campus, Ruthvik has been deeply involved in a variety of student organizations and programs, with Product@TX and the Forty Acres Founders Program being two of the most meaningful. As Director of Finance for Product@TX, he has worked to open more doors for undergraduate students interested in breaking into product management. “For a long time, product management has been a space that was largely reserved for individuals with MBAs or significant industry experience,” Ruthvik says. “I feel fortunate to be part of a time when undergraduates are gaining more opportunities to enter the field earlier.” At Product@Texas, he has helped build a curriculum that not only teaches the fundamentals of product management—from developing an initial idea to launching and improving a product—but also prepares students for the recruiting process by demystifying applications, interviews, and career paths in PM. Ruthvik’s entrepreneurial spirit also found a home in the Forty Acres Founders Program, a highly selective pre-accelerator hosted by the Herb Kelleher Entrepreneurship Center. Over the course of a semester, he worked through case studies, learned from experienced entrepreneurs, and spent late nights refining his venture, Bloom Technologies. The program emphasized customer discovery, product-market fit, and testing real-world demand—skills Ruthvik applied directly as he built out his startup. At the end of the program, he pitched Bloom Technologies to a panel of judges at the 2024 Forty Acres Founders Pitch Competition, earning second place and $5,000 in non-dilutive funding to continue his entrepreneurial journey.
In addition to his academic achievements, Ruthvik’s professional journey has been shaped by persistence, curiosity, and a willingness to learn. After his freshman year, he secured an internship through cold outreach at PayIt, a fast-growing GovTech company that modernizes digital transactions for local and state governments across North America. He worked as a Business Analyst and Data Engineering Intern, streamlining internal data processes to allow faster access to product service offering information and empowering business intelligence teams to create stronger data visualizations. Building on that experience, Ruthvik secured a Technical Program Manager internship at NVIDIA, where he worked with deep learning software teams at the company’s headquarters in Santa Clara, California. His role focused on improving project capacity planning, enabling teams to make real-time adjustments to their workloads. He also helped coordinate cross-functional teams during major software releases and led weekly meetings to prioritize and address key technical challenges. Through this role, Ruthvik gained valuable insight into how success in the workplace depends not just on technical skills, but also on communication and collaboration.
Beyond his academic and professional endeavors, Ruthvik finds meaning in giving back to the Canfield BHP community through his role as a Peer Mentor. “There have been so many people who took a chance on me, and I wouldn’t be where I am without them,” Ruthvik says. “That’s why being a resource means so much to me, it’s all about giving back.” As a Peer Mentor, Ruthvik leads his own section of MAN 101H each week, guiding freshmen through discussions, activities, and lessons designed to help them transition into college life. He also meets individually with his mentees outside of class, helping them find their place in the community. Whether offering advice or simply listening, Ruthvik sees mentoring as a two-way street: “Even though my mentees may be younger or less experienced, I’m always learning something new from them in every interaction, and hopefully, they’re able to take something away from me as well.”
Speaking of his peers, Ruthvik finds much of his motivation in the incredible people around him. There’s no greater source of motivation than seeing his classmates in Canfield BHP achieve remarkable things within their own interests—whether it’s shaping financial strategies in banking, driving impactful research in academia, designing innovative systems in engineering, or optimizing operations and solving strategic challenges in consulting. “The results speak for itself. But what truly inspires me is the passion and resilience of my peers,” Ruthvik says. “Their unwavering drive and perseverance motivate me to push myself further and strive for excellence in everything I do.” Watching his classmates forge their own paths has made him even more grateful for the supportive and dynamic community Canfield BHP has built. “It’s come full circle from when we all first arrived on campus, and now, as we’re about to go our separate ways, I’m more appreciative than ever of the growth and support we’ve shared together,” he reflects.
Outside of the classroom, Ruthvik finds time for the things that ground him, such as recording video diaries, journaling, and biking late at night through Downtown Austin. After filling up his first Canfield BHP-branded journal last summer, he decided to take his memories to the next level by purchasing a Sony FDR-AX43 Camcorder. He now carries it everywhere, capturing personal video diaries to look back on later. “Every day brings something worth remembering,” he explains. “I want to look back and cherish these moments for the years to come.” From football games and leadership kickoffs to visits from family and quiet days biking around Austin, Ruthvik uses media to preserve the moments that shape his journey. When he thinks about the future, Ruthvik doesn’t focus on a specific job title or industry. Instead, his vision is grounded in personal evolution—continuing to push beyond his comfort zone and break the expectations he sets for himself every day. He strives to be better than the person he was the day before, consistently seeking ways to grow and improve in all aspects of his life. If he had to offer advice to incoming students, it would be this: “When approaching anything, always figure out your ‘why.’ Your purpose is yours to define and it’s the one thing that nobody else can take away from you.”