In this episode, you'll hear from our favorite co-host and dear friend Chhavi, an international student from India who is the first in her family to study in the U.S. As a woman growing up in a society rooted in patriarchal values, Chhavi decided to major in journalism to find her voice and to help elevate the voices of marginalized communities. As a first-generation college student at Seattle University, she initially struggled to find her community and found that students from a community college background are often stigmatized. Additionally, Chhavi shares some of the negative perceptions around her identity, including the difficulty in pronouncing her name. However, her family has been her biggest motivation to pursue college education, and she credits the Alfie Scholars Programs and the Department of Communication for guiding her through her college journey. What does home mean for Chhavi? It's being in the presence of her family and drinking chai. She is actively working to dismantle the stereotypes associated with Indian nationals and international students.

Additional resources:

India Association of Western Washington: https://iaww.org/

Asha for Education, Seattle Chapter: https://seattle.ashanet.org/