International Student Stories brought to you by Study in the USA
Join us as current and former international students and higher education professionals share their unique and diverse experiences, dreams and journeys. We’ll explore the impactful things these students and educators bring to the world, thanks in part to their studies in the U.S.
Episodes
24 episodes
The Psychology of Test-Taking: How to Crush Anxiety and Succeed in Life
Dr. Dimitrios Vonofakos joins us to pick up where we left off on our previous episode, “Life’s Pop Quiz: The Unexpected Lessons of a Grad School Exam,” alongside Anish Merchant. Dimitrios summons up his encyclopedia of knowledge on the psycholo...
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Season 3
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Episode 7
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27:31
Life’s Pop Quiz: The Unexpected Lessons of Grad School Exams
Anish Merchant often recounts “The Hero’s Journey” — the story of a hero who goes on a grand adventure to find where he or she belongs. Stories like this inspired Anish to leave the U.S. in pursuit of his own grand adventure — one that helped h...
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Season 3
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Episode 6
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30:18
'Unlocking the Universe: From Forbes 30 Under 30 to New Frontiers in Science' - S3: Episode 5 with Maryam Esmat (Part 2)
Introduction Maryam Esmat, a Forbes Middle East 30 Under 30 honoree, returns for the second part of her interview. In t...
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Season 3
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Episode 5
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34:53
‘Prologue to Greatness: Author, Astrophysicist, and Mentor' - S3: Episode 4 with Maryam Esmat (Part 1)
Introduction Maryam Esmat’s 24 years of life have played out like a greatest hits album. She’s graced the pages of Forbes <...
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Season 3
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Episode 4
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28:57
‘Elevating the Student Voices of Tomorrow’ - S3: Episode 3 with Danny Nguyen (Part 2)
Introduction Danny Nguyen returns for Part 2 of his two-part interview. In this episode, Danny shares his optimistic outlook for the future of international students and the importance of elevating student voices. Despite his...
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Season 3
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Episode 3
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24:48
‘Escaping 1977 Vietnam: Finding a Place to Belong’ - S3: Episode 2 with Danny Nguyen (Part 1)
Introduction 1977 — In a year remembered for the “Fall of Saigon,” and “Black April,” Danny Nguyen and his family were caught in the middle of a war-torn Vietnam. Cal...
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Season 3
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Episode 2
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31:04
‘Rewriting the Code: Black Women in STEM’ - S3: Episode 1 with Jessie Gentles
IntroductionJessie Gentles is the 3%. The world of IT has thrived as a highly-lucrative, high-growth industry — but the caveat? You’re not going to find many Black women crowding in to become the next IT specialist. As a Jamaican...
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Season 3
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Episode 1
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25:35
'The Future of EdTech: Hope, Empathy, and Connection' - S2: Episode 5 with Paige Steffy (Part 2)
Introduction Paige Steffy returns for Part 2 of a two-part interview. In this episode, Paige reflects on themes that follow every international student on their journey; hope, empathy, and connection. She’s walked the walk of...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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27:39
'Chasing the Hogwarts Fantasy: Transporting to the U.K.' - S2: Episode 4 with Paige Steffy (Part 1)
Introduction The magic of Harry Potter captivated a generation of dreamers and stood as a gateway to another world; for one Paige Steffy, it was also a glimpse into her future. Paige graduated from
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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24:19
‘Engineering a Legacy: Overcoming Expectations, Gender Roles, and Cancer’ - S2: Episode 3 with Juliana Pereira (Part 2)
Introduction Juliana Pereira returns for Part 2 of a two-part interview. In this episode, Juliana talks about her career as a Geotechnical Engineer who’s carrying the weight of purpose for women in STEM — and that’s not even ...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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34:44
‘Breaking Societal Norms: Women Do Belong in STEM’ - S2: Episode 2 with Juliana Pereira (Part 1)
Introduction Juliana Pereira is a trailblazer; raised by a single mother in Florianópolis, Brazil, she learned at an early age that there’s nothing women can’t d...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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29:18
'Court's in Session: Restarting a Law Career in a New Country' - Episode 13 with Rezarta Mataj
Introduction Rezarta Mataj had already achieved a great deal in her career at a young age — a federal judge by the age of 24, a lovely family soon after, and the accolades to be an adjunct professor at public and privat...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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40:33
'Reporting to You Live: From Germany to US Television' - Episode 12 with Luisa Wiewgorra (Part 2)
Introduction Luisa Wiewgorra joins us for Part 2 of her two-part interview. In this episode, Luisa reflects on her most memorable experiences studying journalism, and the doors that were opened during her time at
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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27:06
'Set, Spike, Scholarship: A Student-Athlete's Journey' - Episode 11 with Luisa Wiewgorra (Part 1)
Introduction Luisa Wiewgorra dreamed of one day working as a news reporter or TV anchor. It was her talent in volleyball, however, that would open the door for her to chase her dream. Born and raised in
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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23:16
‘Songs of Life, Death, Depression, and Hope’ - Episode 10 with Bwejua Fachano (Part 2)
INTRODUCTION Bwejua Fachano returns for Part 2 of his two-part interview. In this episode, Bwejua joins us as we do a retrospective of his last three songs; ‘Fade’, ‘Father Father', and ‘Waylon Smithers’. These songs touc...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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33:24
'Songs of Friendship, Family, Spirituality, and Love' - Episode 9 with Bwejua Fachano (Part 1)
INTRODUCTION Bwejua Fachano is a lot of things; he’s a talented musician, a cancer survivor, and an international student - but more than that, he’s a dreamer. Through his journey from
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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43:01
'Turning Inspiration Into Your Career Path' - Episode 8 with Valeria Rivera (Part 2)
Valeria Rivera returns for Part 2 of her two-part interview. In this episode, we delve into Valeria’s love of art, the inspiration she’s taken from her experiences, and the people who have influenced her outlook on art as well as life. We also ...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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30:25
'Moving Out of Your Comfort Zone' - Episode 7 with Valeria Rivera (Part 1)
Valeria Rivera personifies the growth you can experience by stepping out of your comfort zone. Her origins brought her from San Salvador, El Salvador, to now being one semester away from ...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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27:57
'Finding Your Ideal Path in Higher Ed' - Episode 6 With Duc Pham (Part 2)
Duc Pham returns for Part 2 of a two-part interview. In this episode, Duc talks about his experience going from community college student to college professor. The unique insights he was able to obtain through his experiences have helped him un...
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Season 1
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Episode 6
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25:51
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'A Journey to Pay it Forward' - Episode 5 With Duc Pham (Part 1)
Duc Pham is building upon a legacy inspired by generosity. His story began in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, and continued through his studies at
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Season 1
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Episode 5
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24:34
'Empowering Fellow Students - Turning Challenges into Opportunities' - Episode 4 with Liberty Hombe
Liberty Hombe is an advocate for justice - the ultimate example of someone who turns challenges into opportunities. Liberty is a pre-med student born in Zimbabwe but spent much of his childhood in South Africa. He is attending
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Season 1
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Episode 4
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1:12:26
'Ambition, Space Travel, Human Psyche, Entrepreneurship' - Episode 3 with Johnny Nezha
Johnny Nezha is the founder and CEO of a tech start-up, Khleon, an active contributor on the Vocal Media blog, and is currently attending
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Season 1
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Episode 3
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1:02:12
'An Outlook with a Mission' - Episode 2 with Pietro Rossini
Pietro Rossini, 29, is a Xaverian Missionary from Salerno, Italy, and is pursuing his Master’s of Science in Journalism at Boston University. Pietro has recently completed an ESL program at
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Season 1
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Episode 2
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49:46
'Your Voice and Mine' - The Intro Episode with Your Host
Our mission is to support, educate and celebrate the international student and higher education communities by providing a platform to share authentic stories and exchange ideas. We aim to unite people. To better appreciate and understand our d...
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Season 1
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Episode 1
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11:26
