Savitha Shanmugasundaram was a senior at the University of Texas at Austin with a dream to create a nonprofit to help underprivileged students get a higher education. Her loved ones say she was energetic, charismatic and a natural leader, who always put community first.
On March 1, Savitha was one of three people killed by a gunman who opened fire on West Sixth Street.
To honor her legacy, her family set up an endowed scholarship at UT.
“She’s not [here] physically anymore, but we wanted to make sure her passion continues so we can benefit the society,” her father Shan Muthian said.
She was an independent daughter
Born in Texas, Savitha’s family moved to Austin when she was 2. She went to Baranoff Elementary and was a graduate of Austin ISD’s Liberal Arts and Science Academy high school.
Her mom, Selvi Shan, said she was continuously surprised about her daughter’s motivation and creativity to explore her passions.
“She has always been independent,” Shan said. “She never asked me for help in homework or anything.”
As a high school student, Savitha started a sticker shop on Etsy and donated her earnings to education nonprofits.
She also had a YouTube channel with more than 20,000 followers. The videos on studyfluff include how to take practical notes, study for a test and be productive over the summer.
“She didn’t wait for opportunities,” Shan said about her daughter. “She created them.”
Shan said Savitha also managed to find scholarships to attend UT.
“We didn’t pay a penny for her college education,” she said.
After Savitha started college, she texted her mom every day and made a point to see both her parents at least once a week. She tried new restaurants with her mom and would go out to coffee with her dad. The weekly coffee tradition started nine years ago, he said, and the two would talk about her plans for the future.
“That is our special time or the special moment [that] probably I will miss the most,” Muthian said.
The three of them traveled to 25 countries together. Savitha planned the trips. She dreamed of seeing the Seven Wonders of the World and had been to four.
Her friends say she was unafraid of life
Savitha’s name means “sunshine” in Sanskrit and is associated with brilliance and energy. Her friends said it fit her bright and bubbly personality. They said she was “intrinsically happy” and made the most of everything.
“There was never a dull moment with her,” Harini Ram said. “She would always turn monotonous work into a very fun adventure”
Ram and Savitha became friends at UT through the Indian Students Association. Ram said Savitha was the glue connecting their group of friends.
“She’d be the one to always make plans, tell us to hang out, suggest that we would travel together,” Ram said. “We’ve had so many adventures and I honestly think it’s because of her.”
The group traveled to Puerto Rico and New York, and had plans to go to Cancun after graduation.
Riddhi Goel (left) said she and Savitha (right) grew closer in Copenhagen, where they were each other’s family during their study abroad trip.
Riddhi Goel said Savitha had multiple groups of friends, but they were a duo. They met during their senior year of high school and roomed together for two years at UT.
Goel said they bonded over late night studies, live music, and binge watching TV while eating Thai food and cheesecake.
They also did a study abroad program in Copenhagen, where, Goel said, their friendship really solidified. They traveled to the Czech Republic and Sweden, relying on each other while in unfamiliar places.
Goel said Savitha was her “go-to person” to get advice from because of how mature she was when it came to life.
“I think she just was very courageous and not afraid to try new things and do new things,” Goel said. “Having that personality next to me kind of inspired me to push myself out of my comfort zone as well.”
Goel said they both had jobs lined up in San Francisco after graduation and planned to live together.
It seemed like she could fit more than 24 hours into a day, friends say
Savitha was pursuing degrees in management information systems and economics.
For four years in a row, she was awarded the Taco Bell Live Más scholarship for students looking to spark positive change and uplift others.
During her time at UT, she served as a co-president of the Indian Students Association, helped organize and judge dance competitions with the Raas Rodeo group, and was a member of the Indian Cultural Association.
“She was someone who could fit more than 24 hours into a day.” Ram said. “She juggled so much and never complained about it.”
Savitha (bottom row, second from left) was involved with multiple student organizations at UT. Her friends said she made the most of every day.
Ram said Savitha went above and beyond for her student groups, always brought new ideas and used her free time for extra activities, like designing T-shirts.
As a freshman at UT, she worked at a startup that provided free consulting resources to other students. She also developed an AI tool to assist students to break down complex code.
“She had a different way of helping out different people,” Ram said. “Even though she had such a busy schedule and everything, she was so committed to just helping anyone out.”
Her parents hope to continue paying it forward
Savitha’s parents said after a stranger paid for their meal at a restaurant when she was a teenager, they adopted the mantra of paying it forward — and she took it to heart.
She volunteered with her dad for Austin Tamizh Sangam, a community group for Tamil people in Austin.
During the summer, the family traveled to India. There, during Savitha’s high school years, she taught English and gave motivational speeches about women empowerment.
Her parents said they set up the Savitha Shan Endowment Scholarship at UT to preserve their daughter’s legacy.
Riddhi Goel (right) said she admired how independent Savitha (left) was. Goel said she will honor her friend’s memory by doing the things they loved to do together.
The scholarship will provide financial aid to eight to 10 underprivileged students each year.
They hope to raise $500,000 by the end of May. The university said it will match that amount for a total of $1 million.
“This endowment is kind of embodying [her mantra],” Ram said. “While it may not help Savi, it’ll help the next generation of students by paying it forward.”
Shan said she feels at peace because her daughter had a life filled with happiness.
Savitha was supposed to graduate in May. Instead, UT will award her a posthumous dual degree, fulfilling her life-long dream of finishing college.
Her parents said they are extremely grateful for the outpouring of support they have received from their friends and strangers after Savitha’s death.
“It reminds us that we are not alone, but supported and embraced by a caring Austin community,” Muthian said. “We are always thankful to the scholarship donors and they are becoming part of the paying it forward chain.”
As for her friends, they said they are trying to honor Savitha’s memory in how they live their lives.
“She would always say ‘Harini, we will never have this moment in time again, so make the most of it,’” Ram said. “And after everything that happened, I’m really living that in my heart.”