My Exchange Experience

Beulah Supriya is an alumna of the UGRAD Program. She also has a master’s degree from Arizona State University. (Photograph courtesy Beulah Supriya)

I was in my first year of college when I heard of my selection in the NESA UGRAD Program (Near East and South Asia Global Undergraduate Exchange Program). Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the program provides one semester scholarships to outstanding undergraduate students from around the world for non-degree, full-time study, combined with community service, professional development and cultural enrichment. It develops young students’ professional skills and academic knowledge along with facilitating a sharing of cultures between Americans and the exchange participant.

I met my cohort mates during our orientation in Washington, D.C. Within a short time, we built a strong sense of camaraderie—I felt reassured that even if the coming months were going to be challenging, I wasn’t going to face it alone.

Under the program, I studied at California State University, San Marcos, in 2014-15, with a focus on communications. It is a cozy campus and half-an-hour away from the lovely beaches of Oceanside. I spent several weekends enjoying the Pacific Ocean. On weekdays, the schedule was packed with courses on communication theory and American history.

There were a lot of firsts for me throughout this program. For example, my first burrito was in Washington, D.C.—I felt it was not the best one. But I gave burritos a second chance in San Diego and I’m so glad I did!

The classroom set-up was new to me. I found that though I had a lot to catch up on, my perspectives shed new light on current applications of well-established theories. And this is one aspect of the U.S. higher education system I appreciated—to take what I learned and see how to apply it to my context. This not only helped my transition back home but also gave me the confidence to pursue my master’s degree in the same field.

Apart from academics, the program sponsored cultural exploration—mine was a L.A. Lakers basketball game. While one side of the coin was cultural exploration, the other side was cultural exchange. At times, these involved classroom presentations, and at other times, it meant answering questions about stereotypes like, “Do many Indians love dancing like they show in the movies?”

Another way to learn about American culture was through community service. I was a staff writer for my school newspaper, The Cougar Chronicle, and covered some amazing work done by fellow students on and off campus. In addition, I volunteered at the international student group, which helped me a lot when I first reached San Diego. The group helps new and current international students navigate life abroad.

My time in the United States was packed and the program was over quicker than I’d imagined. I came back with memories, a fresh perspective and a new goal—I planned to pursue higher studies abroad.

I went back and earned my master’s degree in communication studies from Arizona State University. Later, I worked at a local school district as a communications specialist during my Optional Practical Training. When I returned to India, I began a new chapter with the U.S. Consulate General Hyderabad—the same place through which many of my firsts began.

Beulah Supriya is a resource coordination assistant (monitoring and evaluation) at the U.S. Consulate General Hyderabad.

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