Alumni Spotlight

Rushi Kota '09: From Racing to Rising Star

How One Recent FSC Grad Uncovered the Formula to Success

Long before Rushi Kota ’09 rose to fame in Hollywood with roles on popular shows like Grey’s Anatomy, iCarly, Ordinary Joe, and Never Have I Ever, he was pursuing his first passion at Farmingdale State College: automotive engineering.

Dreaming of a life as a Formula 1 racer, Kota enrolled at Farmingdale for a comprehensive education, one that combined the logistics of automotive repair with the business of the automotive industry. In the end, despite the wealth of knowledge he gained through practical and classroom experience, Kota realized his Formula 1 dreams were a stretch. Instead, he found new opportunities to thrive at FSC.

“I embraced everything about life at FSC—I became a resident advisor and took on a new role as a liaison for the school’s large community of international students,” he says. “I made the dean’s list and president’s list, and really committed myself to learning as much as possible during my four years.”   

As an undergraduate at Farmingdale, Kota was immersed in student life, something that served him well as he discovered his new passion for acting and performing after graduation. “Having a completely different background from the traditional theatre major has turned out to be a great thing because I’m coming from a different place, and bringing with me a different perspective,” says Kota “For me, all my experiences at FSC fed my creativity and have allowed me to live a fuller life as an actor.”

Although his Formula 1 dreams never came to fruition, there is no arguing that Kota has found tremendous success in his work today, a product of the foundation he built at FSC. Kota says the clubs, activities, and leadership roles he held all shaped his college experience, and ultimately, his future.

“Before Farmingdale, I had no idea how many opportunities were out there – it’s not just accounting or law or medicine, there are so many different careers and ways to explore your interests and really immerse yourself in your interests,” he says.

Now, as Kota looks ahead to a promising 2022—including new seasons of Ordinary Joe and Never Have I Ever—he can appreciate this success even more, thanks to the lessons he learned as a FSC student.

“As young adults, we have a certain plan and we don’t know how to deal with things if it doesn’t go according to plan,” he says. “At Farmingdale I learned that if you open yourself up to new opportunities, there’s no telling where you’ll end up.”