Student Life

Sarita Goja

Nepal | Class of 2022

Sarita is a Bioinformatics & Public Health major from Bhaktapur, Nepal. Before she came to AUW, Sarita says she used to lack confidence in front of others. Now, she says she has learned valuable skills such as leadership skills, communication, and critical thinking. During the spring semester, Sarita has taken Data Analysis, Research Methods in Public Health, Nutrigenetics, Advanced Bioinformatics with Programming, Organic Chemistry II and Physics I. This summer, she is currently enrolled in Environmental Health, Computational Drug Discovery, and Introduction to Kathak, a performing arts class. Her favorite course has been Global Health Challenges, because she enjoys “discussing current health problems and challenges in our society”.

Sarita’s dream is to continue her education and work in the public health sector in Nepal. She says, “The knowledge and leadership skill I learned in AUW made me more confident to communicate and work with public”. Sarita has gained professional experience through a virtual internship with the Institute of Wellbeing. While learning from home, she has also facilitated a local program on sustainable development, and has been tutoring the neighborhood children while they are unable to attend school.

Sita Kumari

India | Class of 2023

Sita is a Public Health major from a small village called Ranchi in India, where domestic violence and sexual harassment are common. Though some families are supportive of girls’ education, early marriage and the dowry system make it challenging for girls and women to achieve gender equality. Despite the challenging environment, Sita used to play football, conduct health workshops, and tutor local children before enrolling at AUW. Sita has taken core courses such as Calculus I and Biology II, but her favorite course this past semester has been her writing seminar on feminism. She says, “I learned a lot… I literally had no concept or a blurred concept of feminism, however this course gave a better understanding”. This summer, she is enrolled in Introduction to Kathak, a performing arts class.

As Sita has recently decided to major in public health, she is looking forward to taking classes specific to her major. During her time at AUW, Sita has had the opportunity to take computer programming skills and learn languages such as Python. She also appreciates the creative writing skills she has developed, and now understands how to strengthen her arguments.

Ishrat Fatima

Pakistan | Class of 2018

AUW’s offer of a full scholarship was crucial for Ishrat to attend AUW because with four brothers and sisters, Ishrat’s parents could not afford to continue her education otherwise. Therefore, the opportunity at AUW is more than a degree, and Ishrat feels more independent and has more choices because of it. Ishrat has always been interested in gender issues and in her studies at AUW, she has developed a passion for maternal and child health. She has learned a lot from her coursework in Public Health, specifically about communicable diseases and how the public health policies and rules are lacking in Asia. She has used this knowledge to help inform her volunteer work with Youth’s Voice, an organization that improves the wellbeing of poor communities in Chittagong. Looking ahead, she now knows she would like to pursue a career that will help improve the child and maternal health sector in Bangladesh

Chathuri Weerasinghe

Sri Lanka | Class of 2018

Chathuri has been passionate about protecting the environment since she was a child. As a university student, she is committed to turning that passion into action. Over one summer, Chathuri entered in Hong Kong with Li & Fung to learn about corporate sustainability. When she graduates, Chathuri wants to become an Environmental Attorney. When not studying, Chathuri can be found rehearsing original music with her bandmates, fellow AUW students from Vietnam and Nepal.

Tien Nguyen

Vietnam | Class of 2017

“Coming to AUW is like taking a turn from an alley onto a highway,” says Tien. For Tien, this comparison is more than an analogy– she came from a rural village in Vietnam, where her father is a taxi driver and her mother is a textile worker, to the bustling atmosphere of Chittagong and AUW Lane. From the minute Tien entered AUW, she hit the ground running. In addition to her major, Economics, Tien is passionate about the art of communication. While at AUW she founded the AUW Media Club on campus to bring students’ stories to life. In her third year at AUW, Tien also completed an internship with L’Oreal in Paris, and began working full-time in L’Oreal’s Vietnam office upon graduating.

Seema Ali

Pakistan | Class of 2018

During her time at AUW, Seema particularly identified with the diversity of the student body, the respect of the community, and the method of teaching and learning. She admits that before arriving at AUW, she was a shy and introverted person, but over the course of the her studies, Seema has “learned to speak my ideas with confidence!” Seema used that confidence as a Research Assistant with Ford Foundation to investigate women’s education and its impact on women’s empowerment in Muslim societies. In the future, Seema would like to return to Pakistan to build awareness campaigns around marriages and the legal rights of women.

Rimu Byadya

Bangladesh | Class of 2014

“In my childhood, I believed women can make a difference, but after coming to AUW, I learned how to make a difference.” And make a difference she has. Through Campaign RED, a self-started campaign aimed at destigmatizing menstruation, Rimu reached more than 5,000 adolescent boys and girls in rural and impoverished areas of Cox’s Bazaar, Bangladesh. While working at BRAC, Rimu also led a team of more than 5,000 community health workers to bring affordable healthcare to the doorsteps of 10 million people in Bangladesh. Today, Rimu is pursuing a Masters at Oxford University in the United Kingdom.

Sonam Wangden

Bhutan | Class of 2018

Sonam has truly delved into community life at AUW. As a Resident Assistant, Sonam acts as a social leader, older sister, and adviser to her fellow students. On the academic campus, Sonam also served an important role as UG3 Student Representative. Student Representatives advocate on behalf of their academic class to University administration.