“Strive for the best within your experiences. It takes a lot of the people back home to rally behind you and help you get where you are. Try to never take that for granted.”

Story 35, Kaushar Barejiya, first-generation immigrant from India

Interview conducted & story written by Margherita Marras

On August 31st, 2021, Kaushar Barejiya landed at Boston Logan airport. Full of hope and fueled by ambition, Kaushar, 19, was ready to take on a new chapter in her life. 

Barejiya migrated from Junagadh, India. She moved to the United States to pursue an undergraduate degree in Political Science and Public Policy, at the University of Massachuttes Boston, leaving behind her parents and two older brother. 

Barejiya recalls that for her, the feeling of excitement dominted this journey. “I’m not going to lie, I was actually excited,” Barejiya said. “I did not cry when I got here.” Barejiya had planned for the opportunity to study abroad her entire life: So, when the opportunity arose  in August of 2021, Barejiya felt exhilarated to embark on the journey she had spent so much time preparing for. 

That’s not to say that there weren’t parts of the journey that felt daunting to Barejiya. After all, she was  immersed herself in a completely different environment and culture. “In all honesty, it was exciting but definitely intimidating,” Barejiya said. “I didn’t know anyone here, and I was jumping into a completely new place. I had to figure out everyday things: where to get my groceries, what will the transportation be like, and other small things like that.” 

Nonetheless, she kept her goals and ambition at the forefront of her mind. “It was always my dream to study abroad, so even though the small things concerned me, I got used to everything in a matter of days,” she said. 

Within a few weeks, Berejiya was able to find her rhythm in a foreign country. Barejiya attributes her adaptability to growing up in an environment that allowed her to be very independent. “Even in India I was used to being independent,” she said. “I traveled alone and went to high school in a different state than where my parents lived. This all prepared me for my experiences in the United States, which I am really grateful for.” 

Accompanying Barejiya on the long long trip from India to the U.S. was a friend that would become her future housemate. “We connected through Instagram, and decided to go through the journey to the U.S. together,” she said. “We also had a third roommate, a senior at UMass Boston, who helped guide us through the first few weeks.” 

For Barejiya, social media eased her transition to the U.S. It allowed her to connect with people from home while studying in Boston.  She built a community of people she felt safe and comfortable with before she even got to the U.S. “That allowed me to have a pretty relaxed state of mind going into it,” she said. 

Yet, there were some aspects of the overall migration process that challenged Barejiya. She recalls that the hardest part of migrating to the U.S. was “leaving everything behind,” she said. “Starting everything from scratch is a lot. You have to be very cautious. You don’t know the typical traits or attitudes of the people and the environment. Everything is unfamiliar. Out of naivety, you do miss certain things, and you do make mistakes.” 

Barejiya sometimes found it difficult to discern who to trust, and who to surround herself with. “You meet a lot of different people, and it’s hard to align with everyone,” she said. Now, over a year after her move, Barejiya feels like she has found a stable and diverse group of friends. “At the beginning of the semester, my friends were only from India,” she said. Now, my circle has expanded. Over time, by joining clubs and organizations I have met a lot of new people from all over the world.”

There are times throughout the year, especially during festivals, that Barejiya feels home-sick: “I miss my family gatherings and the food. But, all I have to do is call them when they are all together and I immediately feel better.” Plus, to feel closer to her home and culture, she started a few traditions of her own: “My group from India meets up during festivals and we celebrate together. During the Diwali festival, and we went out for dinner and even took some of our non-Indian friends. It was a really enjoyable night.” 

When asked what advice she would impart on fellow international students, Barejiya responded: “strive for the best within your expeirnces.” “It takes a lot of the people back home to rally behind you and help you get where you are. Try to never take that for granted,” she said. 

Barejiya is particularly passionate about student government and writing. “I have always loved reading and writing, and I found that space here,” she said. “I started writing for The Mass Media–an Independent student newspaper at UMass Boston–last year, and now I serve as the news editor.” 

Barejiya wants to focus on International Law and Human Rights and never forgets to make the most of the opportunities she is presented. “There is always a speck of uncertainty as an international student,” she said. “You never know what could change policy-wise, so I just try to make the most of it, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.”