““It’s not easy to do this without a support system.”

Story #42, Vrinda, International Student from India

Story written and interview conducted by Natalie Cisneros

Edited by Margherita Marras

Vrinda is a senior at Boston University specializing in Cellular and Molecular Biology and Genetics. With just a few weeks left until graduation, Vrinda reminisces on the journey that brought her here. 

In 2019, Vrinda moved from New Delhi, India to attend college in the United States. Vrinda recalls: “It was the longest flight I have ever taken in my whole life… I was nervous as I was leaving because I realized, it’s not like I’m going to camp you know. After 3 days if I don’t like it, I can’t just go home. I never came to tour the university and I didn’t know what the culture was like outside from what I read on a website.” As an international student Vrinda remembers it was intimidating, but she found solace in meeting others who were similar, while also meeting “different people, different communities, and different cultures.” 

As she adjusted to living in the US, Vrinda remembers feeling homesick. She says, “I didn't realize it then, but it starts hitting you, the fact that you're away from home. It’s bittersweet. I can share moments with my grandparents and parents, but I can’t be there with them.” Vrinda laughs as she mentions she also misses her dog, Pluto—a 9 year-old beagle and a very important member of her family. 

Although it was not easy to leave behind her family, Vrinda emphasizes: “I was really clear when I left school that it was a privilege to study in the United States…There is a big difference in the weight of my travels. I am here for academics. I don't have to make a new home permanently if I don’t want to because I still have Delhi. If I was someone who was permanently shifting, I might not always have a place to go back to if things get hard, so you have to accept everything that comes with this journey. With academics you often have a clear path, a sense of security, and structure. For some people, migrating is sometimes a matter of life or death. The stakes are different and your priorities are different—you have to think about finding a balance between what is needed versus what you want…I know that for some people migration is not an option. I had a choice, so I’m all the more grateful.”

She thinks back to how this experience has changed her: “It's made me more resilient. I think that if I met myself from 2019 I would get shocked. I was really introverted. I was confident about my academics, but not about everything else…I didn’t have such a strong sense of self. I was scared to lose my roots and adopt everything Western, but I’ve been able to be true to myself and to add things too because I came here. If someone told me all that I know I can do now, I would not have believed you…” She makes it clear that her growth and success wouldn’t be possible without her family: “My parents have been so supportive. It’s not easy to do this without a support system.”

Vrinda’s advice to other immigrants and international students is: “Have a little more faith in yourself. A lot of people think they have to have everything figured out, but it’s okay to not have everything checkmarked off your list. It’s good to have goals and ambitions, but I feel like there are times when you have to tell yourself that just because you’re an immigrant doesn’t mean you should set such unrealistic expectations.”