At Trinity Western, Anjali Kukreja is considering how her education and experiences can serve the needs of the world. As she pursues her MBA degree, Anjali shares that she is looking forward to applying her expertise in SAP automation to areas that traverse human connections, helping to solve difficult and systemic problems with the resources of data and I.T.
It was the motivation to broaden her skillset and make a greater impact in society that led Anjali Kukreja to pursue her MBA degree at Trinity Western University.
The software engineer was recently recognized by The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) for her outstanding work in streamlining SAP automation testing processes at John Deere. Anjali’s technical expertise, creative problem-solving, and leadership won her SWE’s 2022 Rising Technical Contributor Award.
Connecting career, values, and social impact
A self-described globetrotter, Anjali, who was born in the U.K., attended schools in South Africa, U.S.A., Pakistan, and France, before she decided to revisit her cultural heritage by pursuing her undergraduate studies in India.
Anjali helped the company make significant strides in SAP automation testing—successfully shortening a four-week product testing process into four hours.
After graduating with a degree in computing science, Anjali set her sights on working for a company with strong values and clear social impact. This led her to become a software engineer for agricultural technology company John Deere. Soon, Anjali was helping the company make significant strides in SAP automation testing—successfully shortening a four-week product testing process into four hours. The time and resources saved freed up colleagues and teams to pursue more priority projects, generating benefits across the company’s global departments.
In addition to her ingenuity in automation testing, Anjali actively fostered a culture of inclusiveness at her company, through being part of a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) group. She helped to host initiatives like DEI month, which included home workspace decorations, DEI trainings, poster competitions, and DEI awareness contests. She also recruited “DEI champions” to share their experiences in online events, which brought employees and managers together in a shared forum and provided opportunities for transparency and openness, resulting in a stronger sense of community across the organization.
In addition to her ingenuity in automation testing, Anjali actively fostered a culture of inclusiveness at her company.
Inspiring the next generation of engineers
Around this time, Anjali also joined SWE, an organization that supports women in engineering careers through professional development, networking, and recognition. Working with SWE’s online youth program called “Wow That’s Engineering,” Anjali delivered STEM lessons to 7th grade students in a village in India. She taught basic concepts of coding, with the outcome of sparking greater interest in STEM careers among younger students.
Working with SWE’s online youth program called “Wow That’s Engineering,” Anjali delivered STEM lessons to 7th grade students in a village in India.
Anjali found this experience of volunteering and investing into the lives of youth to be especially meaningful and rewarding. Indeed, social impact has been a motivational factor for Anjali for many years: the inspiration was first sparked during an internship with UNESCO in Paris.
While interning at UNESCO, Anjali used her I.T. skills to conduct budget allocation planning for projects such as providing clean water in Africa and funding educational systems in Myanmar. The experience of applying her technical skills to meet challenging world issues greatly inspired her. Today, this desire for social impact remains part of her hopes and dreams.
Expanding horizons at Trinity Western University
Now having accomplished five years of stellar work as a software engineer, Anjali is continuing to expand her horizons. Through her workplace experiences, she saw the need to complement her specialization in SAP automation testing with a broader foundation in business training.
Now having accomplished five years of stellar work as a software engineer, Anjali is continuing to expand her horizons.
“Business stakeholders are looking for a breadth of knowledge in various areas, in addition to subject specialization,” Anjali commented, referencing the idea of “T-shaped” competencies (deep or vertical specialization combined with general or horizontal business savvy) that many companies seek.
At Trinity Western, she is gaining knowledge in areas from human resources to business ethics. “TWU is primed for building up faith,” she noted about the University’s Christian education. This distinctive of Trinity Western has inspired her to consider how her education and experience can serve the needs of the world. Anjali shares that she is looking forward to applying her expertise in SAP automation to areas that traverse human connections, helping to solve difficult and systemic problems with the resources of data and I.T.
This distinctive of Trinity Western has inspired her to consider how her education and experience can serve the needs of the world.
Taking up leadership on campus
Outside of academics, Anjali has taken up leadership as vice president of the Graduate Students Association (GSA). This year, the GSA is involved in helping to build a bus shelter at the Langley campus, and hosting events to prepare students for graduation—from resume-writing tutorials to networking events with local professionals. The GSA hosts free pancake breakfasts and has organized day trips to Victoria, Whistler, Fraser Valley, and a retreat to Thetis Island, providing greater opportunities for TWU graduate students to connect with one another.
Wherever the future takes her, Anjali hopes to contribute to the good of the world.
Aspirations beyond graduation
As Anjali looks towards graduation, she shares that TWU has expanded her vision of where she could go from here. “My original dream was to become a product manager in I.T., but I’m also open to other avenues,” she said. Courses with MBA professors Ian Angell and Dr. Sung Min Yoo have inspired her with the idea of entrepreneurship and creating a vision of her own.
Wherever the future takes her, Anjali hopes to contribute to the good of the world. “To link my work with making a difference in people’s lives—even just to bring a smile—it would be a meaningful way to change people’s lives.”
About TWU's Master of Business Administration (MBA) programs
An MBA from TWU will help you enhance your career, challenge yourself with professors who stretch your thinking, and examine real-world business issues from an ethical point of view. As the only Christian and values-based MBA program in Canada, TWU’s MBA prides itself on educating businesspeople who are not only leaders but also excellent stewards in their world. Learn more at TWU's MBA programs.
About Trinity Western University
Founded in 1962, Trinity Western University is a global Christian liberal arts university. We are dedicated to equipping students to discover meaningful connections between career, life, and the needs of the world. Drawing upon the riches of the Christian tradition, seeking to unite faith and reason through teaching and scholarship, Trinity Western University is a degree-granting research institution offering liberal arts and sciences as well as professional schools in business, nursing, education, human kinetics, graduate studies, and arts, media, and culture. It has four locations in Canada: Langley, Richmond-Lansdowne, Richmond-Minoru, and Ottawa. Learn more at www.twu.ca or follow us on Instagram @trinitywestern, Twitter @TrinityWestern, on Facebook and LinkedIn.