- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock /news-archive/tag/international-student/ ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Mon, 16 Dec 2019 15:49:31 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 Relationships defined the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock experience for international student ambassador /news-archive/2019/12/16/het-adhvaryu-graduation/ Mon, 16 Dec 2019 15:49:31 +0000 /news/?p=75925 ...]]> Het Adhvaryu, an international student ambassador and fall 2019 graduate, spent his undergraduate years at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock extending friendship and assisting in research to address breast cancer with the aid of nanotechnology. As ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s international student ambassador, Adhvaryu emphasized communication, friendship, and making people feel at home. “When an international student arrives to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, distinctions make them feel different,” Adhvaryu said. “Communication is key. We should treat international students like they are no different from our other friends. Use actions to show them you are friendly. If you are going grocery shopping or out to eat with friends, invite them along.” Adhvaryu said that as an ambassador, he often helped international students acquire transportation and get settled in the U.S. “Relationships are what will matter at the end,” Adhvaryu said. “Each person contributes to our constant learning experience of life skills that define us and guide our future. Our path is indirectly shaped through friendships and relationships we develop along the way.” Adhvaryu also played intramural soccer and ultimate frisbee during his time at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “The best thing about the intramural sports program is that it brings people together from all over the campus to have a good time and play games,” Adhvaryu said. Adhvaryu said that he observed anxiety and depression in college culture. “It’s important to surround ourselves with people who have the right attitude,” Adhvaryu said. “Some people enter college with a mindset that they have to get As because life depends on it and that’s all that matters. I disagree a little. We should be sincere in our studies, but also enjoy the college experience by having a good balance of hard work and fun time.” Studying biology at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock turned out to be a strategic move that created opportunities for Adhvaryu. Because of his intense science studies while growing up in India, Adhvaryu was prepared to demonstrate to biology professor Dr. Ali Nawab his understanding of biology. “I’ve been very fortunate to have the opportunity to work alongside doctoral students in lab research that explores the use of nanotechnology to address breast cancer,” Adhvaryu said. “I’m very thankful to Dr. Nawab, Bryan White, and ��Vlog��ý Little Rock for allowing me that opportunity.” Adhvaryu said that when he looks back on his time at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, his memories will be a reminder of what people can do in your life. “��Vlog��ý Little Rock faculty are phenomenal,” Adhvaryu said. “You can always count on them for guidance and knowledgeable options. They have our best interests at heart.” Adhvaryu plans to continue focusing on molecular biotechnology and pursue graduate and doctoral degrees, possibly with an interdisciplinary focus. First, he hopes to gain some practical work experience in research focusing in a related field. “Graduating is bittersweet,” Adhvaryu said. “I feel excited about the future, and I’m taking with me the positive lessons that people have contributed to my life.”]]> Rwandan student fulfills dream of earning college degree /news-archive/2018/05/11/enatha-ntirandekura-grad/ Fri, 11 May 2018 13:30:47 +0000 /news/?p=70523 ...]]> When Enatha Ntirandekura was a little girl growing up in Rwanda, she would have been happy to finish her high school education. The chance to go to college, and later graduate school, seemed wholly out of reach. Ntirandekura was accepted to , a secondary school that empowers girls with the training and leadership skills they need to make a lasting impact on their world. After she scored high enough on her standardized science tests, she earned the Rwandan Government Presidential Scholarship, which allowed her to come to the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. “I never used to think about going to college,” she said. “After high school back home, we normally take the standardized tests in science. If you do well enough, they give you a scholarship. I never thought I could score high enough to come here. I was the first person in my family to go to high school and college. For me, dreaming about college was never there. All of a sudden, I ended up landing the scholarship that I never expected and here I am.” She will graduate May 12 with a Bachelor of Science in biology and a minor in psychology. Life in Rwanda, where she left behind her parents, nine siblings, and around 25 nieces and nephews, was quite different than living in the United States. “I remember when I came here, I was so lost, and the accent was so different. It was so hard being away from my parents and siblings. In Rwanda, we walk three or four hours to get to the market. Everyone drives everywhere here. Sometimes, I just want to get out of the car and walk,” she said. “There is just so much of everything here. The language, the food, the way everyone is moving so fast – that is not what I was used to back home.” She arrived in the U.S. in May 2014 and took three months of English-language classes at Hendrix College before starting at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in the fall 2014 semester. “Thank you to Cicero’s family in Conway, who let me stay with them and their three beautiful kids as I was taking the English classes. And thank you to all the other American families and friends that have opened their homes to me during my stay in the USA,” she said. While at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Ntirandekura has served as president of the Rwandan Student Association and was a member of the Campus Garden Club. She received the ��Vlog��ýLRworks Perseverance Award and was on the Chancellor’s List and Dean’s List. As a part of ��Vlog��ýLRworks, she has worked in Student Affairs and Testing Services. “I love ��Vlog��ýLRworks,” Ntirandekura said. “It has been a great experience. It gives you the opportunity to be exposed to professional study, and it gave me the courage to keep going. This is one of the most amazing experiences about this school.” In the fall, Ntirandekura will begin the applied science Ph.D. program with an emphasis on applied biosciences at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. She eventually wants to research genetic disorders after a personal health discovery. “Last year, I kept getting sick,” she said. “I kept going to the doctor, and they would say nothing is wrong.” Ntirandekura was later diagnosed with anemia and sickle cell trait, a relatively mild condition caused by the presence of a single gene for sickle cell anemia. “I’m from Rwanda, and most parents, when their children are born, they do not think to check for genetic disorders,” she said. “Because I have sickle cell trait, I am a carrier, and my children are more likely to have sickle cell anemia. I want to help other people know what genetic diseases they are susceptible to.” Ntirandekura had a chance to get some first-hand experience in the lab when she researched Alzheimer’s disease while doing a summer internship in 2016 at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. She is thankful to Dr. Scott Woolbright from the Department of Biology and her other professors for making her experience as an international student better. “Being an international student in a new country is challenging, but having those professors who are willing to understand and keep pushing is amazing,” she said. “That relationship you develop with professors and coworkers is something I will always remember about this school. That is just so amazing.” Ntirandekura’s journey to graduation has also been filmed by her high school. Ntirandekura is one of the first students from the Gashora Girls Academy to come to the United States and graduate from college. Since she arrived in the U.S., she has served as an advocate to help raise money for the Rwanda Girls Initiative, which runs the Gashora Girls Academy. Ntirandekura wants to give other girls from her country the same opportunity to get a college education. “If I didn’t finish school, I would have just ended up working in the fields. My mom pushed me to finish school,” Ntirandekura said. “Through the failures and challenges, we always have someone who pushes us. I think the person who pushed me the most is my mom. My mom was always willing to give me what she never had. My mom didn’t have much education. I will always attribute my success to my mom who has always worked to given me what she couldn’t have.”]]> Obadimu wins $1,000 scholarship in “Make Your Mark” contest /news-archive/2017/05/30/obadimu-scholarship-lewermark/ Tue, 30 May 2017 13:14:16 +0000 /news/?p=67255 ...]]> Adewale Obadimu, a second-year student in the University of Arkansas at Little Rock computer science doctoral program, received second place after writing an essay answering: “How will an international education help me make a difference in the world?” “I wrote mostly about my past in Nigeria, and how I want to give back to the community,” he said. “I realize that this opportunity that has been given to me by studying in the U.S. can also be given to others that I would like to one day help.” The contest, which was open to international and study abroad students, was sponsored by , a provider of student insurance. Obadimu earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria in 2013. He worked as a lead software developer at Health Informatics Research Laboratory and a technologist for the Center for Energy Research and Development before coming to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. Since arriving in January 2016, Obadimu said, he has been fortunate to meet new friends, especially through the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock chapter of the International Friendship Outreach. “I’ve always been fascinated with coming to the U.S.,” Obadimu said. “There are a lot of brilliant minds and opportunities in the U.S. I’ve really been lucky to meet a lot of nice people here. Being an international student is a worthwhile experience.” At ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, Obadimu teaches software engineering classes as a teaching assistant and conducts research on social computing with Dr. Nitin Agarwal, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Jerry L. Maulden-Entergy endowed chair and information science professor. “We are extremely proud of Adewale,” said Agarwal, director of the COSMOS, where Obadimu is a research assistant. “He brings an immeasurable energy to our Center for Social Media and Online Behavioral Studies (COSMOS).” While Obadimu has yet to select a focus for his doctoral research, he has had fun working on many “interesting projects.” One of the projects includes developing an Android app that serves as a social media network to put ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students in touch with alumni. “What if a student needed to find an internship, and they wanted to ask alumni? It would be very nice to have a way to connect with each other online,” he said. ]]>