anshu adhikari

Fredericksburg’s Finest

Anshu Adhikari, an aspiring data scientist and rising sophomore at the University of Mary Washington (UMW), was the epitome of raw vulnerability, unbreakable resilience, and unflinching courage as she reflected on her motivations for leaving Nepal to pursue her own heroine's journey to the United States:

"My father called me chora, [Nepali f]or son, because he was adamant that I was just as valuable, and that I deserved the opportunities and bright future that would not be second guessed if I were a boy. He supported my mother in completing her secondary education while I was in secondary school myself. I didn't understand the importance of education or just how much was at stake until that moment, and then it was like a fire that lit me and would motivate me my entire life to be my very best and to help the community as well. My father's work for and dedication to the Millennium Challenge Corporation in his capacity as a civil engineer was a guiding light for me to remember that we are all interconnected and that as long as someone is suffering, none of us are ever truly free. He instilled in me not only a desire, but a sense of duty, to serve and to be a light for the people and communities in the shadows. The shadows where I may have dwelled if my father believed that girls did not deserve to be educated or cherished.

“When my father died from COVID complications, I was the only one who identified him, and I am still scarred by that image of his lifeless face - this man, my father, who cherished me more than anything else in the world and who was determined to see me succeed, ripped from this world too soon. Not everyone saw the world through my father's eyes. Some feared my courage and intelligence, and would have rather seen my 8-year-old brother thrust prematurely into the responsibility of leading the household, than to witness me or my mother exhibit the strength my father saw and nurtured in us.

“I chose to exceed what was expected of me as a young woman. That's when I decided that I needed to leave my home to become properly responsible for creating a home of my own making, and serving my country and the world from a position of strength. I set my sights on university in the United States, a place that embodied my father's vision for freedom, equality, and rule of law."

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Anshu adhikari

by jenna elizabeth Edwards

Anshu applied to more than 20 universities, but felt a sense of kismet when she learned of Fredericksburg and UMW's special connection to her hometown: Kathmandu, Nepal.

The Fredericksburg-K Kathmandu Sister City initiative grew out of local efforts to aid Nepal following tragic earthquakes in 2015, and has since fostered cultural and interpersonal connections, including academic exchanges between UMW and Tribhuvan University.

S i n c e matriculating at UMW, Anshu has employed her Major in Computational and Data Science to empower Nepalese youth with skills in data literacy and creative writing. She has served n o n - p r o f i t organizations such as Code Nepal and Canopy Nepal with the gracious support of April Peterson, owner of River Rock Outfitters. Peterson launched a Go-Fund Me in January 2022 to help Anshu cover her educational expenses. However, Anshu is still in a financially precarious position: due to visa restrictions, she faces significant limits on her ability to work and derive the income necessary to continue her educational pursuits. It will take a village for this courageous young lady to complete her degree at UMW. "I have faith that just like the stars aligned for me to attend UMW, there will be a way for me to complete my education at UMW," Anshu says, "Being here feels right, and I am tremendously grateful, especially for the Fredericksburg community whose kindness and belief in me has been the greatest blessing."

(L to R), UMW Interim Provost Tim O'Donnell, Anshu Adhikari, and H.E. Ambassador of Nepal Sridhar Khatri at the

Fredericksburg-N Nepal Sister City Annual Meeting 2022 Help Anshu continue her education at UMW: April Peterson ' s GoFundMe for Anshu: ww.gofundme.com/f/help-f for-a anshu-u umwstudent Jenna is partner of the Edwards Law Firm PLLC and a local realtor. Her Facebook page, The Writing Realtor, highlights local business owners and community members to showcase why the Fredericksburg region is an amazing place to live.

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