Penn Arts & Sciences Pathways: Omkar Katta, C'20 (Video)

Growing up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Omkar Katta, C’20, always had eclectic interests, like math, drawing, and volunteerism. He came to Penn thinking he’d major purely in math, but a creative writing class called Writing from Photographs, taught by Paul Hendrickson, Senior Lecturer of English, was one of a few courses Katta took during his first year of study that broadened his academic pursuits. Katta pursued research on decision-making in non-profits with Femida Handy, a professor in the School of Social Policy & Practice, and declared as a mathematical economics major his junior year. As a senior, he was named a Penn Arts & Sciences Dean's Scholar.

Looking back on his College career, Katta says, “I didn’t realize just how much my life would change at Penn. The advice I received early on, that was about keeping my mind open, letting opportunities flow in as much as they can. It’s definitely opened my mind, opened my heart, to all the opportunities there might be in the world.”

Pathways is a student series from Penn Arts & Sciences that highlights the academic journey of students in the College of Arts & Sciences and the transformational moments that have shaped their intellectual experiences.