Ruchi Aluwalia is from Plainsboro, New Jersey and graduated from Rutgers University in May of 2022. She majored in Genetics, minored in South Asia Studies, and pursued a certificate in Genetic Counseling through which she interned with a cancer genetic counselor. She worked extensively with the Rutgers College Support Program mentoring autistic students and presenting neurodiversity trainings for organizations and classes. Ruchi designed and taught a course to first-year students on Exploring Genetics & Genetic Counseling and loved being able to share her passion for the genetic counseling field with others. She conducted wet-lab research on the mechanisms of colorectal cancer, genetics education research through the Rutgers Graduate School of Education, and completed an internship with the Cancer Health Equity group of the Cancer Institute of New Jersey. She enjoyed being an admissions ambassador for Douglass Residential College and the Honors College and also served as a Teaching Intern for general chemistry courses.
Off-campus, Ruchi worked as a direct support professional and behavioral therapist for autistic children and adults. She volunteered with Crisis Text Line and found it to be a challenging but rewarding opportunity. She spent two summers working with the national non-profit Breakthrough Collaborative teaching 8th-grade chemistry to amazing students in Manchester, New Hampshire. She has a passion for education (she first intended to be a science teacher) and cares deeply about diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice efforts within the genetic counseling field.
Ruchi is excited to be a part of the Emory Genetic Counseling Training Program and can’t wait to explore all that Atlanta has to offer. She loves reading, crocheting, coffee shops, and long walks outside. She welcomes any questions prospective students may have.