‘Even in the Most Unexpected Situations, Babson Always Had My Back’

Listen

Babson has meant many things to Swapnika Yarlagadda ’19: a community, a family, a foundation, and an inspiration. As the undergraduate Commencement speaker for the class of 2019, she summed up the College’s uniqueness in one item: a Babson sweatshirt.

Said sweatshirt was the key to flying back to Boston after being stranded in London. When Yarlagadda’s flight was canceled and attempts at rescheduling proved frustrating, a Babson alum spotted the sweatshirt and helped her find another flight back.

“Even in the most unexpected situations,” she said, “Babson always had my back.”

Finding a Sense of Community

Yarlagadda, an honors student who graduated magna cum laude, spoke to a spirited crowd at Babson’s undergraduate Centennial Commencement event. A cool breeze blew through the tent on the sun-drenched athletic field where students, family, friends, and Babson faculty and staff gathered for two hours of ceremonies.

Yarlagadda said that as an international student from Hyderabad, India, she was able to find a sense of community at Babson, “from peers and professors who pushed me to my limits, to being a part of something bigger than myself.”

She talked about how the College allowed her to be true to her values and her culture, while also getting to know people whose backgrounds were vastly different from her own: “As I look back at my Babson journey, it is filled with years of learning, growth, and finding crucial parts of myself,” she said. “While graduation is bittersweet, I would like to encourage everyone to find strength in our community. We have created a family that’s beyond blood relation.”

Know Your Roots

She urged her peers to focus on two things: Know your roots, and be present while establishing relationships. “The reason we are here,” she said, “is because of the hard work and vision of multiple generations before us. We can only build a better future by honoring the foundations that have been laid for us.” Of her own roots, Yarlagadda said she comes from a family of entrepreneurs, and called her father “an innovative thinker” for his pioneering ideas.

To emphasize the importance of meaningful relationships, she took the audience back to that auspicious day in the airport. “If that Babson alum didn’t care to strike a conversation,” she said, “who knows how much longer I would’ve been stranded at that airport?”

After the speech, Yarlagadda reflected on why she decided to focus on the strength of the Babson community. “There were so many threads that defined my Babson experience,” she said, “but it was easy for me to tie them together, because they always went back to community.”

In June, Yarlagadda will begin working at Wayfair as a profitability and strategy analyst. While her Babson education will no doubt serve her well, so will the confidence and support she takes with her. “Babson is your solace in a way,” she said. “There could be all this chaos in the world, and Babson is the anchor that holds you to the ground, that lets you see that anything is possible if you work hard for it. We feel so strongly connected, even in the toughest times.”

Posted in Community

More from Community »

Latest Stories

a row of electricity meters
The Price of Power: What’s Driving Rising Electricity Rates? Electricity rates have been steadily increasing. Ryan Davies, a Babson professor of finance, unpacks the many reasons for that, including the massive data centers popping up across the country.
By
John Crawford
Senior Journalist
John Crawford
A writer for Babson Thought & Action and the Babson Magazine, John Crawford has been telling the College’s entrepreneurial story for more than 15 years. Assignments for Babson have taken him from Rwanda to El Salvador, from the sweet-smelling factory of a Pennsylvania candy maker, to the stately Atlanta headquarters of an NFL owner, to the bustling office of a New York City fashion designer. Beyond his work for Babson, he has written articles and essays for The Philadelphia Inquirer, Notre Dame Magazine, The Good Men Project, and other publications. He can be found on Twitter, @crawfordwriter, where he tweets about climate change.
September 30, 2025

Posted in Insights

The Babson community and mascot celebrate at the Roger Babson statue last year
No. 2 Again: Wall Street Journal Ranks Babson the No. 2 Best College for the Second Year in a Row For the second year in a row, The Wall Street Journal ranked Babson as the No. 2 Best College in the United States, lauding the College for its impressive student outcomes.
By
Eric Beato
Editor / Writer
Eric Beato
Eric Beato is the Editor of Babson Thought & Action and Babson Magazine. A native of Chicago and a graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, Eric has worked as an editor and writer at newspapers across the country, including the Chicago Sun-Times and Boston Herald. Eric joined Babson College in 2019 after working as the communications director for a private educational travel company and as the managing editor of six regional sports publications.
September 29, 2025

Posted in Community, Entrepreneurial Leadership, Insights, Outcomes

First row (left to right): Laura Bautista ’29, Ezel Bhatty ’29, Sydney Fojas ’29; Second row (left to right): Lucas Lebrija ’29, Tia Malhotra ’29, Remy Witt ’29
Class of 2029 Blank Leadership Scholars Bring Excitement to Campus The Class of 2029 Blank Leadership Scholars arrive at Babson equipped with entrepreneurial spirit and social impact experience, from launching nonprofits and tech solutions to championing environmental education.
By
Melissa Savignano
Writer
Melissa Savignano
Melissa Savignano, a content marketing manager at Babson College, has worked in higher education for almost a decade, where she tells authentic, compelling campus and community stories. Before Babson, she managed communications for Boston University’s largest college, the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences. She previously worked in client relations, helping brands of various sizes launch content marketing strategies and storytelling initiatives. When not at work, you will find her in the city of Boston, probably at the movie theater.
September 25, 2025

Posted in Community