Meet Anshu Adhikari of Nepal Adventurous 1st-Year Student at UMW by Collette cAPRARA exam before travelling to her village to assist with his traditional last rites.
Navigating a new academic and social terrain of a university is typically a challenge for most first-year students. For Anshu Adhikari who has come to Fredericksburg from a country and culture half the world away, Nepal, this challenge has an additional dimension. Yet Anshu has embraced this educational opportunity with a depth of gratitude and enthusiasm that has made her experience as a freshman at the University of Mary Washington especially enriching and exciting. Even now, she talks of her hope to uplift others through the education and skills she will acquire. "I am passionate about helping people in Nepal throughout the world from marginalized backgrounds. My dad always inspired me to study and learn wherever I can, as well as to use the resources I have to benefit others." Tragically, her role model, coach, and mentor is no longer physically present physically in Anshu's life. In 2020, her father who was an engineer engaged in a career of service contracted Covid and within a short time succumbed to the virus. At the time, Anshu was completing her high-school education and was preparing to take the comprehensive final exam that was required to graduate. Her father passed away the day before her test was scheduled but she gathered the strength and determination to take the
"My mother told me that, when he was in the hospital, my father had told the doctor that he wanted to come back home because he wanted to take me to my final exam. I thought of this as his last wish for me, and I was determined to pass my exam," Anshu said. Anshu's dream of achieving higher education was facilitated by the support of a generous partial scholarship
Both her educational experience and involvement with non-profits have already equipped Anshu to thrive and succeed in her chosen field. She served as a project assistant for Code for Nepal, a non-profit organization that was created to increase digital and data literacy in Nepal. She was selected as the recipient of a fellowship with DataCamp, which provided an opportunity to learn data skills on-line and to become proficient in a number of programs in which she helped many Nepali youths to learn and advance their own digital acumen.
from fellow students to the faculty and staff, has been so willing to help me. I never feel alone or lonely," she said. She was also warmly welcomed by Fredericksburg Mayor Mary Katherine Greenlaw and local business and community leaders including members of Kathmandu Sister City. the Fredericksburg-K
"In Nepal, education is highly valued and taken very seriously," she said. "It can determine the course of your future. Even small kids believe that your life can be changed if you study well and they are so proud to wear their school uniforms."
To support the e d u c a t i o n a l aspirations of young students, Anshu and a group of her friends engaged in a service project last year, in which they distributed backpacks to boys and girls in one village in Nepal. The children were clearly grateful and excited about their Backpack and Supplies Distribution project in Nepal backpacks, and their appreciation soared from UMW and donations from family even higher when they discovered they members and friends. were equipped with school supplies to boost them during the serious pandemic Anshu is majoring in lockdown Nepal was facing at the time. Computational and Data Science, Anshu says that her transition to acquiring the skills that she hopes she can life in America was made even easier by use to provide the information for the community of camaraderie and care programs to target societal problems. that embraced her at UMW. "Everyone,
Anshu wearing “Kurta”, a traditional Nepal Wear To date, one of her favorite experiences has been kayaking at the city dock. "I loved it! It was so much fun, and I think that we as students should explore more of the nature that is surrounding us. Fredericksburg is a beautiful city."
Collette is a local writer and artist with Brush Strokes gallery.
front porch fredericksburg
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