Lovesimrjit “Sunny” Sandhu

University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business + Dell Medical School at UT Austin

“Ambitious first-generation entrepreneur and surgeon-in-training, passionate about education, healthcare, and social impact for underserved communities.”

Hometown: Katy, Texas

Fun Fact About Yourself: I’ve helped in the delivery of over 20 new-born babies.

Undergraduate School and Major: The University of Texas at Austin, BSA Biology

Most Recent Employer and Job Title: Spring Branch Independent School District, Teacher

What makes Austin such a great place to earn an MBA? Austin strikes the ideal balance between big-city rush and small-town charm. This vibrant metropolis is always buzzing with energy and has something to offer everyone. One of the city’s most appealing features is its natural beauty. The extensive network of green spaces provides numerous opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts. For instance, the Boggy Creek Greenbelt trail offers a scenic route for cyclists, winding its way through lush landscapes before connecting with Lady Bird Lake. Or, if you’re looking for relief from the Texas heat, Barton Springs Pool is a local treasure. This three-acre natural swimming hole, fed by underground springs, maintains a cool, refreshing temperature year-round. It’s the perfect spot for a rejuvenating dip or a lazy afternoon by the water. The city also boasts an impressive array of venues, from intimate bars to large concert halls, showcasing diverse musical genres. On any night, you can find live performances across the city featuring up-and-coming local talent and big-name artists. This combination of urban excitement, natural beauty, and friendly residents makes Austin an extraordinary place to live and the perfect backdrop for business school.

Aside from your classmates and location, what was the key part of Texas McCombs’ MBA programming that led you to choose this business school, and why was it so important? The unique class structure, particularly the cohort and study group system, was an aspect of the MBA program that drew me to McCombs. The program thoughtfully organizes our class of over 250 students into four smaller cohorts. Within each cohort, students are further assigned to intimate study groups of just five people. This structure immediately creates a sense of community within the larger MBA class. Not to mention, we take our initial core classes with our cohort and study group, fostering a collaborative learning environment. The school actively encourages this collaboration, even assigning a second-year student to guide us, ensuring we maximize the benefits of having a study group. This class structure has helped alleviate the potential intimidation of large class sizes and helped to facilitate organic connections early, removing the pressure of trying to find familiar faces or friends in a sea of new people. I’ve learned a lot from my study group – they’ve become a vital support system as I navigate the hurdles of business school.

What course, club, or activity excites you the most at Texas McCombs? Healthcare Innovation Fellows is the club that excites me the most as I pursue my MBA at McCombs. This excitement stems from my deep passion for creating positive social impact, particularly in healthcare, and my desire to bridge the gap between my medical knowledge and business acumen.

My journey in social impact began with Teach for America, where I taught in low-income communities. It continued as I worked with the CommunityCare Street Medicine team, providing primary care to Austin’s unhoused population. These experiences opened my eyes to complex, systemic issues surrounding education, housing, and healthcare that require interdisciplinary solutions. I’ve realized the importance of understanding the inner workings of business to develop sustainable, impactful solutions. The Healthcare Innovation Fellows program at McCombs offers the perfect opportunity to merge my social impact background, medical education, and MBA.

What makes this club particularly exciting for me is its unique focus on applying business concepts directly to healthcare challenges. Through this program, I’ll have the chance to gain valuable insights into healthcare management and administration, explore innovative business models in healthcare delivery, deepen my understanding of healthcare finance and economics, network with industry leaders and like-minded innovators, and work on real-world projects addressing current healthcare issues. This hands-on experience will be invaluable in translating my MBA learnings into practical, impactful solutions in the medical field and aligns perfectly with my goal of becoming a physician-leader capable of driving meaningful change in healthcare.

Looking at your recruitment, what was the moment when you realized Texas McCombs was the right program for you? Why? My interactions with alumni significantly influenced my decision to join McCombs. These encounters revealed a unique aspect of the McCombs community: a genuine commitment by graduates to foster the growth and success of current students. The McCombs alumni network stands out for its warmth and approachability. In every conversation, I felt a palpable sense of care and investment in my potential success. This wasn’t just polite interest, but a sincere desire to see future McCombs graduates thrive. As a McCombs student, I’ve witnessed firsthand how this supportive culture continues to thrive. Alumni regularly return to campus, particularly during recruiting events, to engage with current students. They offer mentorship, share insights, and guidance on professional development. Choosing McCombs means joining a lifelong community of mutual support and growth. The school’s ethos of “paying it forward” creates a cycle of success where today’s students become tomorrow’s mentors, continuously strengthening the McCombs legacy.

Describe your biggest accomplishment in your career so far: The Terry Scholarship, established by philanthropist Howard Terry, made my journey onto the Forty Acres possible. This scholarship’s mission is to provide Texas students with access to high-quality education, regardless of their financial circumstances. For me, the Terry Scholarship was more than just financial assistance; it was a lifeline to higher education.

As a first-generation college student from a low-income household, attending college seemed like a distant dream, but Howard Terry made it a reality. During the scholarship interview process, the committee posed a thought-provoking question: “If you were to receive this scholarship, how would you give back in the future?” My response to the committee was heartfelt and sincere. I promised to honor Howard Terry’s mission by dedicating myself to one of two paths: directly providing another student with the opportunity for high-quality education or working to improve the education system in Texas. This commitment wasn’t just a promise to the scholarship committee; it became a guiding principle for my future career choices. Fast forward to 2018, and I found myself standing before my first cohort of graduating high school students as their teacher. As I watched them receive their diplomas, a profound sense of accomplishment washed over me. In that moment, I realized I had fulfilled the promise I made years ago to the Terry Foundation.

Looking ahead two years, what would make your MBA experience at McCombs successful? Success, for me, is less about earning potential or prestige and more about my ability to give back and help uplift those around me. Looking ahead two years, I would deem my MBA experience a success if I found myself back on campus at Rowling Hall, providing support and guidance to current MBA students as they work to accomplish their goals. I’ve realized very early in life that I am the product of everyone who has taken the time to invest in me: teachers, mentors, family members, and peers who have all played crucial roles in shaping my professional path. By returning to campus to support current students, I would continue this cycle of giving back and honoring those who have helped me by paying it forward to the next generation of business leaders. For me, it’s about creating a ripple effect of positive impact, where my success enables the success of others, which in turn contributes to broader societal progress. If I can support and guide future MBA students, helping them navigate challenges and achieve their goals, my MBA journey will be a true success.

DON’T MISS: MEET THE TEXAS MCCOMBS MBA CLASS OF 2026