At A Glance
Alum
Aastha Ahuja
Program
BS in Applied Psychology (2024)
Professional Pathway
Case Manager at U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
Aastha Ahuja's story may have gone in a different direction, but her APUG foundation led her to the questions that would shape her future.
Reading Between the Lines
Each morning, Aastha Ahuja begins her day reviewing filings at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, where even small details can shape the outcome of a case. As a Case Manager in the civil pro se unit, she reviews dozens of filings each day, drafts court orders for attorney review, and collaborates closely with staff attorneys to advance complex cases. It is careful, structured work that requires precision and discernment.
The road to this courtroom began in a place of uncertainty. As an undergraduate in NYU Steinhardt’s Applied Psychology program, Aastha wrestled with uncertainty about her future. She was drawn to service and to understanding people, yet unsure how that interest would translate into a career. At the same time, personal challenges shaped much of her college experience, prompting her to reflect more deeply on resilience and identity.
Finding the Common Thread
Her professional experiences mirrored that exploration. She moved between roles in human resources, nonprofit administration, hospitality, tutoring, and even a business internship abroad. She audited employee data, drafted company communications, facilitated guest services for more than 100 hotel rooms per day, and supported students academically. At first, these roles felt disconnected. Over time, she began to see a pattern. Each position required close observation, empathy, and an understanding of how systems affect individuals.
A turning point came in the Counseling Interview class in Fall 2021, where students were asked to examine personal challenges beyond their surface-level explanations.
Self-reflection in this class made me glad I was a part of APUG. It felt like we were learning what made humans human.”
An Open-Ended Future
Although she ultimately chose not to pursue counseling, the mindset she developed at Steinhardt remained central to her. The research-driven nature of the APUG curriculum strengthened her analytical skills and taught her to question assumptions. Today, as she synthesizes information from multiple court systems and drafts orders within the federal judiciary, she draws directly on that training. Legal work, like psychology, demands attention to underlying causes and careful interpretation of complex narratives.
Now, as she prepares to apply to law school, Aastha no longer looks for a single “right” path. In a field often focused on outcomes, she has learned to slow down, ask better questions, and look beyond what is presented at face value. It is a skill she didn’t expect to carry from psychology into law, but one that continues to guide her approach to each case.
In APUG, she did not simply choose a direction. She learned to look more deeply and to trust what she found.