Prapty Dey, a Breakthrough New York student, will be attending City College of New York and majoring in biomedical engineering. Prapty shared some of her reasons for choosing City College of New York and what makes her passionate about biomedical engineering.
Prapty is guided by her first hand experience navigating familial health issues as she begins her education in biomedical engineering. “As the daughter of chronically ill patients, I’ve often had to do with reading medicine labels, making sure that they’re taking different dosage at the correct times. But it feels like the most recent experience that has driven me into biomedical engineering is when my aunt had a heart attack in September of senior year, this was my first week of schooling. And I remember I was like, You know what, I need to be there for my family.” Prapty reflected that one of the central themes of this experience for her family was the question, “How did the healthcare system fail us?” After experiencing continued difficulty with the medical industry Prapty found herself ready to start college and make a difference.
Despite her impending college journey, Prapty remains grounded in her family responsibilities. As the eldest daughter, she plays a pivotal role in managing household affairs and supporting her family. Juggling these responsibilities alongside advocacy work and tutoring her younger brother demonstrates Prapty’s commitment to both her academic and personal obligations.
Prapty’s engagement in advocacy initiatives, such as organizing student panels and interviewing staff members for Breakthrough, reflects her dedication to making a difference. “With Breakthrough, I have been preparing y panels such as student panels for high school students and rising high school students. There’s also interviewing new staff members. I’ve also had the opportunity to serve on that board, listening to the different interviews and trying to balance out which would be the best candidate for students. Even as a student, I feel really involved with the community. Even if I’m not gonna specifically do anything biomedical, I also want to build my advocacy skills, because I feel like that will definitely help me, as I progress in the biomedical field.”
As Prapty prepares for college life, she looks forward to building connections, exploring new opportunities, and contributing to positive change on campus. Her overarching goal is to leverage her education and experiences to address healthcare disparities and create a more equitable system. Prapty’s multifaceted approach to personal and academic development positions her as a promising agent of change in the field of biomedical engineering.
