UC Davis top grad aims to revolutionize aging, befriends 95-year-old veteran through service

DAVIS -- Starting Friday morning and through the weekend, around 8,000 UC Davis undergraduate students will pack the Golden 1 Center for commencement ceremonies.
Being honored with the University Medal as the top graduating senior of 2025 is Avantika Gokulnatha of San Jose.
Gokulnatha studied biological sciences and researched aging at UC Davis. Now, she is bound for medical school with dreams of becoming a physician scientist to help find new ways to prevent age decline and allow older adults be independent for as long as possible.
Excelling in both academic studies and service, Gokulnatha throughout her schooling has served in hospice centers, senior living facilities, and has even helped provide free medical care to uninsured and marginalized communities.
She also led a student organization called Breaking Barriers for two years. The group teaches seniors regionwide to use newer technology like computers and smartphones.
Gokulnatha says it's a passion project inspired by her late grandfather back home in India.
"I said, if I can't do it for my own grandparents, maybe I can help someone else's grandparents whose family lives far away," Gokulnatha. "You know, making older people feel remembered, part of the community. Making sure they are involved and don't feel so forgotten."
The small act of kindness has made a big impact for 95-year-old Jack McGruder, a resident at the Village at Rancho Solano senior living facility in Fairfield.
Breaking Barriers would stop by to visit McGruder and the other seniors at the center about once a month to work on technology skills. Gokulnatha over the years formed an incredibly strong bong with McGruder who she now lovingly calls "Uncle Jack."
"They could be out partying, having a good time. But they're here saying, 'hit this button, hit that button,'" said McGruder. "It makes a big difference because a lot of us old geezers don't know how to do that. That makes your life very isolated."
The duo formed an unbreakable bond tableside with technology.
As Gokulnatha studies aging, she is on a mission to innovate the way we grow old in her career to come.
"I'm inspired by research going on that's looking at turning back the biological clock. Not necessarily lengthening our life span, but making the experience of aging a little easier," said Gokulnatha.
She also taught McGruder how to watch the commencement live stream online so he can see her cross the stage on Saturday.
"It's always rewarding to come out here, hear stories about a world where I didn't live," said Gokulnatha. "How vast his life experience has been and how many changes in the world he has lived through."
Born in 1929, McGruder has seen more than most. He served in the United States Army during the occupation of Germany just after WWII ended.
"I learned how to speak German and I was a military policeman in a very elite military organization. We were good guys, but we were tough," said McGruder.
To any youngster who will listen, Jack offers simple advice.
"Try to love and help all the people you interact with as best you can. I want them all to look for the positive things in life and have fun," McGruder said.
Gokulnatha learned that sometimes the lessons that last a lifetime are taught outside the classroom.
Up next, she is taking a gap year while applying for medical school. Gokulnatha is a Fulbright U.S. Student Program award recipient which will support her studies at the Max Planck Institute for the Biology of Ageing in Cologne, Germany.

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