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When Jayanth (JayCee) Chitturi made the decision to leave India to pursue his graduate degree at ӣ������ Manchester, he hoped to find opportunity, community and growth. What he didn’t expect was to discover a passion project that would eventually take him (and his learning) back home.

JayCee is a master’s student in Information Technology and a Presidential Leadership Award recipient. As an international student, he was drawn to ӣ������ Manchester for its urban setting and connected campus. “When I first walked from Veterans Park to ӣ������ Manchester, I felt a strong sense of belonging. That moment confirmed I had made the right choice.”

That turning point quickly led to others. JayCee’s decision to stay in New Hampshire for the summer opened the door to a life-changing opportunity: working as a floater at Manchester Tech Camp. “I was offered this job, and I knew I wanted to postpone my trip to India,” he said. That decision introduced him to Shannon McCracken-Barber and eventually to Sydney Rollins and the STEM-MoBILE.

He described the moment he first toured the STEM-MoBILE—a traveling lab that brings biofabrication education to schools and communities across the region—as “awesome.” Soon, he joined the team as a youth educator, visiting schools and community events to teach kids about topics like DNA extraction and biobubbles.

“We met over 800 people at Wicked STEM Expo,” he recalled. “Only two people—Sydney and me. We were exhausted by the end of that day.” JayCee’s favorite part? Getting to lead his first activity at Manchester West High School. “I was anxious, but I think I pulled it off.”

JayCee’s cross-disciplinary mindset helped him bring a tech perspective to a biology-forward project. He researched ways to make XRP robots on the STEM-MoBILE teleoperated and found space to create his own mini projects.

He also took what he learned and expanded the STEM-MoBILE's reach beyond New Hampshire…all the way to Pedavegi, India.

From New Hampshire to Andhra Pradesh

Before his January outreach in India, JayCee took part in virtual teaching sessions with students in Myanmar, assisting Prof. Rajesh Nair as part of Zero2Entrepreneur. It was his first taste of global STEM education—and he was hooked.

Then, during J-Term, JayCee returned to his home village and brought the STEM-MoBILE curriculum to his mother’s former students. “I wanted to do something in honor of my mother,” he said. “She worked as an elementary school teacher.”

He led STEM activities like banana DNA extraction, showed a virtual tour of the STEM-MoBILE, and talked with students about emerging science fields. Though they weren’t physically in the “big blue truck,” he said: “Our STEM-MoBILE officially went international.” The success of his outreach in India inspired future ambitions and built bridges for more global learning.

A Community That Believes in You

When asked about the most rewarding part of his ӣ������ Manchester experience, JayCee didn’t hesitate: “The people.”He credits professors and mentors like Dr. Mihaela Sabin, Prof. Richard Greene, Matt Simon, Shannon McCracken-Barber, Sydney Rollins, and Christine Rousseau for helping him grow into the leader he is today.

“My time at ӣ������ Manchester had a great impact on my career,” he said. “I’m trying to build a cross-disciplinary path that integrates computer science with biofabrication—and I’m doing this because of the support system I have here.”

Now working full-time as the STEM-MoBILE & Manchester CREATES Project Associate, JayCee has big dreams for his next chapter. But no matter where he goes, he says he’ll never forget where it all started. “STEM-MoBILE is not just a truck,” he said. “It’s people. It’s us.”