About Me

Profile

About: Hello, everyone! My name is Ruthvik Allala and I am a senior Biology and Sociology double major who hopes to eventually impact peoples' lives as a doctor! My life journey started as a cute two-year-old immigrant from Hyderabad, India, took me through nine states during my unpredictable childhood, and ended with me settling right here in Austin, TX. Having both grown up in small agricultural villages in India to making a life for themselves in an unknown world, my parents continue to be my greatest source of inspiration to dare to attempt the impossible. I also have a brother named Sathvik that I like to think of as my little protégé.

When I'm not consumed by the hustle and bustle of the premed life, I love to get buckets, read game of thrones theories, and listen to TLOP on repeat for hours (All hail Yeezus). On campus, I'm involved with the Health Career Mentorship Program, Natural Sciences Council, and Practica Plática. I also work as a tutor at Sanger Learning Center and a mentor for the Freshman Research Initiative so if you need help with bio or chem you know who to call. In my downtime, I volunteer at the C.D. Doyle Clinic, a student-run free clinic that specializes in performing intakes on various uninsured or homeless people in the Austin area. These involvements have really helped shape me into the person I am today.

I hope you have a better idea about who I am and why I ride and don't be afraid to say hi if you see me frantically biking across campus trying to get to my next class in time!

Why I Ride

తన కొపమె తన శత్రువు తన శంతమె తనకు రక్ష్

My ammama (grandmother) used to end nearly every conversation we had with those words-- finding your inner peace can be your savior. I didn't make much of it since it seemed like just another old Indian saying. Little did I know at that my time for hearing those words was numbered.

Charisma and compassion encapsulated everything about ammama. Her ability to put others before herself was simply second to none. Only when everyone else in the room was smiling and enjoying themselves was she at peace.

That's what makes it all so unfair. The most righteous of people was unfairly set on one of the arduous journeys imaginable. The pain started in her throat. Being the selfless person she is, she never told a soul. She opted instead to fight on her own and keep us in the dark in order to keep us from worrying. By the time we found out, her condition was not good. Treatment helped, but it was equally as draining. Eventually, her voice faded away, movement slowed down, and energy disappeared. Through it all, she maintained her kind smile solely for us.

When she passed, it was the hardest moment of my life. I lost someone who I could talk about anything with and someone who cared about me above all else. With her and the millions of others affected by cancer in my heart, I will ride to make an impact in the battle against cancer. I will ride to honor ammama's memory and I will ride to find that very peace she told me about all of those years.