Rooted in Leadership: Armaan Raina

To me, leadership and service have never felt like interests as much as integral parts of life that I happen to enjoy.

Armaan Raina is a Computer Science and Statistics major in the Caldwell Class of 2027. Even before his time in the program, Armaan saw servant leadership as a core part of who he was, and he continues working to integrate that into his academic and professional pursuits. “To me, leadership and service have never felt like interests as much as integral parts of life that I happen to enjoy.”

Background & Early Roots

The desire to make a positive difference in the world is one that Armaan believes is innate to all people, yet manifests itself differently for each individual. For Armaan, the journey began with volunteering at his temple and taking care of his siblings at an early age. A watershed moment that he credits was the time his family rescued a dog when he was twelve years old. By saving and bringing the animal under his wing, he realized that his actions could truly impact others in the world. Taking charge in these meaningful ways filled the young Caldwell with a sense of purpose and direction.

I aspire to be just like [my mother] as a parent, a leader, and as a professional.

Everyone has heard the saying “Actions speak louder than words.” Armaan sees his mother as the embodiment of this sentiment. She always makes time for her children, despite seeming like the “busiest person on the planet.” Her influence has helped Armaan define leadership and given him a role model to look up to. “I aspire to be just like [my mother] as a parent, a leader, and as a professional.”

Caldwell Fellows Experience

Armaan’s aspirations to grow as a leader and a person drew him to the Caldwell Fellows his first year. He applied to the program in an effort to broaden his horizons beyond just his major and become a more well-rounded individual. He cites experiential and service learning, as well as his interactions with Caldwell alumni, as the most impactful aspects of his experience so far.

From opportunities to travel miles and miles away to intimate, hands-on work here in Raleigh, the Caldwell Fellows program has felt transformative to Armaan. This past Labor Day weekend, he traveled to New York with his peers on the Caldwell 2025 Urban Adventure. The trip allowed him to bond with other fellows in pursuit of knowledge about the city’s rich immigrant history and enjoy themselves in the Big Apple. On the other hand, Armaan learned more subtle, quiet lessons about himself as a leader through his work in service-learning on the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle farm. He found that he could learn about life in even the most menial, everyday tasks, such as weeding radishes or raking mulch.

Speaking with alumni has been another major source of wisdom for this second-year Fellow. At this past year’s Caldwell Conversations event, Armaan gleaned insight from an alumnus he interacted with from South America. “He shared a time where he came home from work extremely stressed and sat on his front porch processing… His neighbor, a farmer who never attended any formal schooling, approached him and asked what was wrong to which he responded ‘You wouldn’t get it.’” Armaan recounts, “He reflected with us on how much of a mistake it was to reply like that since the truth was, his neighbor lived such a fulfilling life and was more content [than he was]…” Incidentally, in the spirit of acknowledging our diverse roots, Armaan has reflected on this anecdote ever since. It struck him that our individual backgrounds could so drastically adjust our approaches and perspectives on life and leadership, no matter where we come from.

Current Leadership & Role Models

As he grows from his roots in leadership, Armaan continues to put his learning into practice. Right now, he cofounded and leads a club with some of his friends. The pursuit, called Neurotech @ NC State, involves creating a device that “leverages the fascinating principles that underlie our nervous system to improve the lives of the children living in the Hilltop Home for disabled children.” In this way, Armaan is using his scientific and leadership skills in tandem to serve others.

While it may seem as though he has it all figured out, a good leader is in a perpetual state of development. Armaan says that he is currently grappling with the ways in which he presents himself as a leader. How others perceive you and the impression you make on them is a pivotal aspect of how effectively you can lead them. Recognizing that presentation is something he will continue to refine over time, Armaan is nevertheless conscious of how he comes off and works to be the best leader he can be.

Luckily, even outside of the Caldwell Fellows, Armaan isn’t growing alone. His research advisor, Dr. John Meitzen, like his mother, has served as a leadership role model at this stage in his life. Dr. Meitzen is not a selfish leader; he always makes time for students, gives praise for good work, and is quick to recognize his faults. Armaan describes his advisor as intentional, involved, and charismatic. One aspect of Dr. Meitzen’s character that hardworking leaders can easily overlook is his family orientation. Armaan recognizes just how much the man celebrates and cherishes his wife and children, despite his high level of participation in the NC State community and beyond. All of these characteristics are ones Armaan aspires to emulate, and he’s grateful to have such a model as Dr. Meitzen. 

Looking Forward

Armaan sees himself continuing down the path of a servant leader as he looks out on his future post-graduation. First, he hopes to remain involved in the Caldwell Fellows community long after he leaves the university, giving back to the program as the alumni he has interacted with did for him. This cycle of learning and serving among our student and alumni network is part of what makes the Caldwell program so special, and Armaan is excited to continue to contribute.

I hope that my future career is oriented towards applying technologies to increase the quality of life for others, a pursuit I can only think of as servant leadership.

On top of this, Armaan seeks to keep applying his neuro- and computer science knowledge in a way that helps others. As he has already begun Neuroscience @ NC State, he hopes he can continue to develop this intersection of his passions in a beneficial capacity. “I hope that my future career is oriented towards applying technologies to increase the quality of life for others, a pursuit I can only think of as servant leadership.”

Armaan has done incredible work as a student, leader, and professional, and he has even more growth ahead of him. By reflecting on the people and moments that have made him who he is today, he allows himself to grow more intentionally and authentically, using his roots to ground the soaring height of his canopy. From his mother to Dr. Meitzen, rescuing a dog to weeding radishes, his interactions and experiences continue to guide him today. We are thrilled to see what he does next.