24-year old Master’s student Chethan Kumar BM knows about taking decisive action on a magnitude that few of his peers have experienced. Two years ago, in Chethan’s hometown of Bengaluru, a southern city dubbed the “Silicon Valley” of India, a pair of Hawk MK-132 jets practiced for a military air show. Suddenly, due to a piloting error, they collided in mid-air.
Chethan, a fourth-year aeronautical engineering student at the time, was watching the rehearsal from his window at home when the accident occurred. Living only feet from the airbase, he ran to aid the pilots and remained on the scene, assisting and reassuring them until paramedics and emergency personnel arrived. Two of the three pilots survived, and Chethan’s immediate action before ambulances attended is credited in saving their lives.
“People close to me always said that I was good at decision-making, especially in critical situations.” Some also suggested, “Why not hone that skill professionally?” This advice, coupled with his innate interest in making key decisions, led Chethan to start researching a Masters of Science in Project Management at Northeastern’s Toronto campus.