My name is Samar Salve. I am an international student from India. I finished my Associate of Applied Science in Web Design at Genesee Community College, Batavia, NY and transferred to CLU for my Bachelor’s of Science in Computer Science.
As an international student you always need a clear guideline and direction not only when you are a student in university but also when you finish education and be part of the workforce. In terms of that guidance and experience not every college has the same stature. When I look at California Lutheran University and its programs to empower international students, I see myself in good hands. Events like lunar year celebration will be helpful to understand the multi-cultural background of university on the other hand events like U. S. job search for internationals will be helpful in building a career.
Even though I am an adult and still finishing my education I have not found my purpose. When I researched about the college, I realized everything the CLU is built around is what I am looking for. I do not know my purpose and I am afraid that it is too late to find it. But an assurance that I could still find it, make my life worthwhile by taking one step at a time does encourage me. I do wish to be part of a college where I will be reminded that I can do it and taken care of. That is why I wish to attend the California Lutheran University.
My first experience in the US education system was studying in Community College at GCC, Batavia. It was a smaller community college in terms of scale. Which also meant a smaller community closely bound together, where everyone knows each other. I was part of a community where I was not just a number but I had an identity. It was especially coming from a country like India where you are just another person in a vast population. At the end of the last semester, I was thinking about transferring to a bigger university. So I attended some lectures in the university around, and realized that I am going to be another number again. Transferring to CLU was a financial decision and I was afraid to lose my identity and become just a number. However, as opposed to my beliefs about a bigger university I found out that was not the case at all. From the time I travelled across the country to be part of the community at CLU I was regarded as a crucial part of the community. I got to meet amazing professors and fellow students. I participated in many online events, I was even able to become an RA.