This week, I am joined by my very dear friend Ahadu. He is originally from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and completed his undergraduate degree at Addis Ababa University majoring in law. Afterwards, he did a post graduate degree on International and Commercial Law at the University of Greenwich in London. He is currently the Commercial Legal Counsel for DIAGEO Ethiopia. 

In this episode we discussed how each of us managed our finances as students and how we had to do not-so-pleasant jobs to make money. Furthermore, we discussed the importance of budgeting and keeping track of our expenses as a student while also opening up space for splurging now and then.

Tune-in to laugh, learn and appreciate the international student experience!

Please send questions and feedbacks you have to [email protected] or DM on the Instagram page @internationaliebyruth

This week, I am joined by a very special guest, Selam. She is from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She studied at Seton Hall University in New Jersey majoring in Physics with a minor in Medical Humanities. She graduated early in December of 2020 and she is currently in the UK studying Global Health Science and Epidemiology at the University of Oxford.

In this episode we discussed our own journeys regarding uncertainty and how not knowing what is going to happen next, might not necessarily be a bad thing. We also shared our own struggles and how we dealt with the feeling of anxiety that comes from uncertainty and the importance of focusing on what we want to do in life and enjoy the process of not knowing what the future holds for us. Tune-in to laugh, learn and appreciate the international student experience!

Please send questions and feedbacks you have to [email protected] or DM on the Instagram page @internationaliebyruth

This week, I am joined by my very dear friend Hilda. She is from Uganda and completed her undergraduate studies at Smith College in 2018 where she double majored in Government and African Studies. Hilda currently works at Africa Careers Network in Johannesburg, South Africa.

In this episode we discussed our journeys of trying to manage our time in college from figuring out what our priorities are to identifying aspects of our college life that we intentionally spend time on including exercising, investing in intentional friendships and trying new things. Furthermore, we discussed the importance of prioritizing our health in college, particularly our mental health and how crucial it is to maintain our well-being which ultimately dictates how we manage our time.

Tune-in to laugh, learn and appreciate the international student experience!

Please send questions and feedbacks you have to [email protected] or DM on the Instagram page @internationaliebyruth

This week I am joined by my very dear friend Haime. Haime was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. After graduating from high school in Ethiopia, she moved to Boston and attended Bunker Hill Community College and then transferred to Wentworth Institute of technology to study Architecture in which she is currently attending her last year.

In this episode, we discussed our journeys navigating self-worth, particularly as an international student in college. From imposter syndrome and the things that made us question our worth, to how we managed to consistently remind ourselves of our worthiness.

This week I was joined by my very dear friend Asiya. She is from Karachi, Pakistan and was an international student at Mount Holyoke College, where she double majored in International Relations and Psychology. Currently, she is working as a Research Officer at the Collective for Social Science Research and works on multi-disciplinary projects with a focus on development, civic spaces, gender, democracy, mental health, youth well-being and qualitative research.

In this episode, we discussed the reasons behind our decisions to come back home after graduation, the interesting questions we received once we moved back and finding the courage to take risks in the pursuit of our happiness.

This week I was joined by my very dear friend Feven. Feven is from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She is currently a senior student at Seton Hall University in New Jersey majoring in Nursing. 

In this episode, we discussed how we each navigated our own independence while in college. From spiritual to financial independence and what it means to find your voice as an independent international student.

This week, I was joined by my very dear friend Anisha. She grew up in both the US and India and went to Smith College and graduated in May 2018. Her major was Chemistry and she is currently working as a research assistant in infectious disease epidemiology.

In this episode, we discussed our journey of career indecision, especially the moments that led us to choose a different path than the one set for us. We explored what it means to achieve success through choosing a career that makes you truly happy and fulfilled.

Tune-in to laugh, learn and appreciate the international student experience!

Please send questions and feedbacks you have to [email protected] or DM on the Instagram page @internationaliebyruth

This week, I was joined by my very dear friend Nishan S Kassahun. She is from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Nishan came to the US in 2016 with a basketball scholarship but took a different route to join North Carolina State University. In 2020, she got her Bachelors of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources. Currently she working at Amazon and is also a part-time YouTuber with a Travel and Lifestyle based channel that explores and documents different parts of the world, nature, cultures and peoples way of life with the aim of taking people along on her adventures through vlogs, photography, and drone shots. 

In this episode, we explored our journeys dealing with self-growth while in college. We discussed the “moments” that made us realize that we were growing into better versions of ourselves. We also delved deep into how decision-making and failures are critical parts of our self-growth.

Tune-in to laugh, learn and appreciate the international student experience!

Please send questions and feedbacks you have to [email protected] or DM on the Instagram page @internationaliebyruth

Also, please follow Nishan’s incredible journey:

Instagram: @nish_35 and @by_nishan

YouTube: By Nishan

In this episode, we explored what it means to have self-worth and the importance of having a sense of self-worth for international students.

This week I was joined by my dear friend Patriciah. She is from Nairobi, Kenya and is currently a senior at Smith College. Patriciah is an Economics and Mathematics double major and is also pursuing a concentration in Global Financial Institutions.

In this episode, we explored our journeys dealing with study abroad while in college. We discussed the reasons why some international students decide to stay at their home institution while others decide to gain more study abroad experience. The highlight of this conversation was around the importance of challenging yourself as an individual and growing into a better person.

Tune-in to laugh, learn and appreciate the international student experience!

Please send questions and feedbacks you have to [email protected] or DM on the Instagram page @internationaliebyruth