UMSL Global Student Assistant Spotlight: Ashma Singh

– By Ashma Singh

To be a part of Student Ambassador is one of my greatest achievements here at the University of Missouri St. Louis (UMSL). I came to United States four years ago. My Journey from Nepal to UMSL has been great. It takes time for me to open up with people but being in a great community like UMSL, I have become more confident and outgoing. Meeting versatile personalities who have joined UMSL from around the globe has helped me a lot in my personal growth. Being an introvert, all my friends here have made me feel like home, bringing the best out of me. I have become more comfortable about myself than I ever was and it’s all because of the bond that I share with people around here.

Being away from home, you are prone to get homesick very often, but you overcome that sickness by making new relationships and sharing those feelings with your friends. I remember my first day of college Orientation, I saw a lot of different faces from different part of the world. I was quite hesitant about approaching them, but everyone was friendly and helpful. They all made my transition smooth and paved my way to success. Hanging out with them every week feels like I have known them for a very long time. I learn a lot from them, and they introduce me to new challenges and opportunities. I started my Undergraduate program from Community College where I was not able to be as active as I wanted to be. After joining UMSL, I took the time to understand how everything works here at this University.  During my first semester, I built my connections and learned a lot from my colleagues. Once I got to know about the activities on campus, I started taking different opportunities. As an international student, I believe there is no place like UMSL to polish my skills. My first participation was in the  5^th annual Women’s Hackathon. Being an Information System major, participation in hackathons was a huge plus to gain my knowledge.  That was when I was introduced to some of the great mentors from different corporations who I’m still in contact with. They are all very welcoming and approachable. Participation in an event like this helped me groom myself and all the feedback I received from mentors is very helpful.

 Likewise, I got introduced to UMSL Global and became one of the Orientation Leaders for Fall 2019. It was a great opportunity to learn and forward some of my knowledge to fellow international freshmen. Because I had been in their shoe and reminiscing all the help I got when I first arrived here, I followed the same footsteps and helped the new student touch bases and understand the friendly culture which I was introduced to at UMSL. Apart from that, I have been a Teaching Assistant to Prof. Duncan for computers and information system this semester.

There are various opportunities at UMSL that are not just provided to local students but for international students as well. UMSL moves everyone forward with their great academic program and activities. I have made many good connections that push me for success. Being here has been a life-changing experience for me and I’m thankful to everyone who has helped me to get here. I would like to motivate everyone to take new challenges and explore all the opportunities laid out by UMSL. Be the better version of yourself.

Read more about Ashma’s trip to the 2019 Grace Hopper Celebration in UMSL Daily.