Shows
InternationalieEpisode 30: Dealing with BelongingnessThis week, I am joined by my very dear friend Bereket. She was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She received her Bachelors degree from Brown University in Biochemistry
and Molecular Biology and her Masters from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Pharmaceutical Sciences. She is currently pursuing her PhD as a Chemistry graduate student at Columbia University.
In this episode we talked about the idea of belongingness and how that played out in our college experiences as international students. We discussed the importance of
finding belongingness in ourselves and how it’s a li...
2024-07-2250 minInternationalieEpisode 29: Dealing with Mental Health as a Child of ImmigrantsThis week I am joined by Elyas Tecle. He is currently a Cloud Sales representative at Google, originally from the Philadelphia area. His parents are from Ethiopia and Eritrea and he has lived in New York for the last 5 years. He studied International Relations and Consumer Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, but pivoted towards tech in his career - working his way through roles at IBM, Salesforce, and now at Google.
In this episode, we talked about the struggles we faced to prioritize our mental health particularly as children of immigrants and international students. The constant need to fulfill t...
2024-01-3039 minInternationalieEpisode 28: Dealing with MentorshipThis week, I am joined by my very dear friend Susan. She is from Maputo, Mozambique and graduated from Smith College with a double major in Economics and Government in 2019. Susan is currently pursuing a PhD in international studies, with a research focus on sustainable economic development in Sub-Saharan Africa. Her current research projects investigate the effects of foreign capital investments from three emerging economies (Brazil, China, and South Africa) on development outcomes in Sub-Saharan Africa.
In this episode, we talked about the importance of mentorship and the significant role it played in both our personal and professional lives. We di...
2023-12-0140 minInternationalieEpisode 27: Dealing with Challenges-Aiming for and Achieving Professional SuccessThis week I am joined by Sinafik who is originally from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and is a Mount Holyoke Class of 2015 graduate. She currently serves as the Executive Director for Your Ethiopian Professionals (YEP), a 501(C)(3)non-profit organization founded in 2010, that aims to be a global connection point for the professional community. Outside of her tenure at YEP, she works as Account Executive, Assistant Vice President for Employee Benefits in Lockton Northeast's Washington, D.C. office and serves as the primary business contact for clients. She also founded and co-manages Birara Genet, a non-profit organization that empowers under-represented community members i...
2023-11-011h 01InternationalieEpisode 26: Dealing with Emotional IntelligenceThis week I am joined by my dear friend Weza. Weza is currently building a goldsmith company in Switzerland with a strong focus on sustainability and blockchain technology. He gave a TEDx speech, with insights in his personal entrepreneurial journey on how blockchain technology can enable justice within the jewelry industry.
Weza is completing a Double Master’s Degree with a M.Sc. in International Management and M.A. in International Law and the Managing Climate Solution program (MaCS) at the University of St. Gallen (HSG), where he also founded the Africa Association – leading with the purpose generation in mind. He i...
2023-08-3026 minInternationalieEpisode 25: Dealing with DiscomfortThis week, I am joined by my very dear friend Stuti. Stuti is from Gurgaon in India and was an international student at Smith College, in western Massachusetts. She majored in Quantitative Economics with a minor in Statistics and Data Science and graduated in 2022. She currently works in the international development space, at the The Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab or J-PAL and is based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
In this episode, we talked about the different discomforts we face as international students ranging from the weather, food, culture and even our identities. We talked about how we each navigated th...
2023-07-3056 minInternationalieEpisode 24: Dealing with Job SearchThis week, I am joined by my dear friend Soriene. She is originally from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She completed her undergraduate education at Bryn Mawr College in Mathematics and Economics. After graduating in 2020, she worked at Yale University as a Research Assistant. She’s currently an Economics PhD student at Northwestern University.
In this episode, we discussed our experiences when it comes to finding internships during college as international students and also securing full time jobs afterwards. We talked about the struggles we faced when applying to these positions as international students and how we overcame them. Furthermore, we highlighted th...
2023-05-3051 minInternationalieEpisode 23: Dealing with Building a CommunityThis week, I am very excited to be joined by Zeresenay “Zee” Berhane Mehari who is an award-winning writer/director born and raised in Ethiopia. Zee moved to the U.S. to attend film school and founded Haile - Addis Pictures to produce his first narrative feature film, Difret, which was Executive Produced by Angelina Jolie and won Audience Awards at both the Sundance and Berlin International Film Festivals. His next feature film, Sweetness in the Belly, based on the international best-selling novel of the same name by Camilla Gibb set during the Ethiopian revolution in the 1970s, was a Cana...
2023-04-3054 minInternationalieEpisode 22: Dealing with IdentityThis week, I am joined by my dear friend Zoya. She is from Karachi, Pakistan (although she was born in Lahore, and spent a good part of her childhood in the Punjab province of Pakistan). She completed her undergraduate degree in the U.S. at Smith College, where she double-majored in Quantitative Economics and English Language and Literature. Currently, she is based right outside Washington D.C., where she works at an economic consulting firm.
In this episode, we talked about how we navigated our different identities in college whether it was our place of origin, our religion or even...
2023-03-3056 minInternationalieEpisode 21: Dealing with ShynessThis week I am joined by my very dear friend Maëlle. She is from a small city in the East of France, near the border with Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany. She’s very passionate about dancing and gender equality. MaëlleI studied Political Science and International Public Management at Sciences Po in France and did a one-year exchange program at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. Currently, she works in a think-tank focusing on Africa-EU relations, where she conducts research and analysis, mainly on conflicts, peace-building and gender equality.
In this episode, we talked about how to over...
2023-02-2639 minInternationalieEpisode 20: Dealing with Dating and RelationshipsThis week I am joined by my dear friend Makeda. She was born in Houston, Texas and moved to Addis Ababa when she was 10 years old. Once she finished high school, she attended Rice University in Houston, Texas where she studied Economics. She is currently working as an Associate in Agro Processing with the Tony Blair Institute.
In this episode, we talked about our experiences with dating in college and the reasons why it can be a bit challenging to date while being a student in college. We discussed the value of self-awareness and understanding your priorities before dating someone a...
2022-11-3057 minInternationalieEpisode 19: Dealing with Goal SettingThis week, I am joined by my very dear friend, Khulood. Khulood is Egyptian and grew up in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. She graduated from Smith College in 2019 with majors in Government and Comparative Literature. She recently graduated with a master's degree in International Affairs at the Fletcher School at Tufts University.
In this episode, we talked about the importance of goal setting and prioritizing as international students in college. We discussed how it’s acceptable for plans to change and the necessity of adaptability in setting our goals.
Tune-in to laugh, learn and appreciate the international student experience!
Pl...
2022-10-3143 minInternationalieEpisode 18: Dealing with Imposter SyndromeThis week, I am joined by my very dear friend Heran. Heran is from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She has a bachelor's degree in Public Health from Georgia State University, and a master's degree in Nursing from Emory University. She currently works in a Cardiac ICU as a registered nurse.
In this episode, we discussed how we each dealt with imposter syndrome while in college and navigating through the feeling of not-belonging. We talked about the importance of believing in ourselves and trusting our abilities. Additionally, we discussed some tips that helped us including avoiding comparison with others, eliminating self-doubt and s...
2022-07-3056 minInternationalieEpisode 17: Dealing with Culture ShockThis week, I am joined by my very dear friend Manavi. She is from Kolkata, India. Manavi went to Smith College and majored in Economics and graduated in May 2019. She is currently working on her own startup called The Health Nut.
In this episode, we talked about our experiences with culture shock, particularly the difficulty of adjusting to a new culture and navigating a new environment. We discussed the challenges we faced assimilating to a new environment as international students in college and the importance of being open-minded and listening to others to make the transition smoother.
Tune-in to laugh...
2022-06-2657 minInternationalieEpisode 16: Dealing with Mental Well-BeingThis week, I am joined by my very dear friend Bethlehem. She is from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and is a graduate of Wesleyan University with
majors in Neuroscience and Biology and a minor in East Asian Studies. Outside of science, she studied French and Korean, and participated in a summer exchange program at Seoul National University. After college, she worked as a research assistant at Yale University for two years before moving to Atlanta to start her neuroscience PhD journey at Emory University. Outside of research, she likes to participate in group fitness classes, go for a walk in nature...
2022-05-2956 minInternationalieEpisode 15: Dealing with ChallengesThis week, I am joined by my very dear friend Nathan. He is from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Nathan is currently a senior at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut with a major in Mechanical Engineering and with a minor in Mathematics. In his free time, he enjoys playing basketball.
In this episode, we discussed how we each dealt with challenges we faced in college as international students from home sickness to culture shock to food. We also talked about some of the things we did to help us cope with the challenges of college life and the importance of focusing...
2022-04-2948 minInternationalieEpisode 14: Dealing with ChangeThis week, I am joined by my very dear friend Suhair. She is from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and studied International Studies with a concentration in International Relations at American University of Sharjah in the UAE. Moreover, she completed an exchange program at George Washington University for a year and did another six months in Washington DC after obtaining an internship. Currently, she is back in Addis working as a Project and Evidence Coordinator at GirlEffect.
In this episode, we talked about change and the delved into the difference between internal and external change. We each reflected back on the experiences th...
2022-03-3158 minInternationalieEpisode 13: Dealing with LonelinessThis week I was joined by my very dear friend Wasila. Wasila is from Ghana and came to the United States as an international student. She graduated from Smith College with a degree in Engineering and a minor in the Arabic Language. She is currently working as an assistant consultant for the electrical department at kW Mission Critical Engineering.
In this episode, we discussed how we each experienced loneliness both in and outside of college and the coping mechanisms we used to help us deal with it including sports, frequently connecting with loved ones and going outside of our comfort zone...
2022-02-251h 00InternationalieEpisode 12: Dealing with FinancesThis week, I am joined by my very dear friend Ahadu. He is originally from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and completed his undergraduate degree at Addis Ababa University majoring in law. Afterwards, he did a post graduate degree on International and Commercial Law at the University of Greenwich in London. He is currently the Commercial Legal Counsel for DIAGEO Ethiopia.
In this episode we discussed how each of us managed our finances as students and how we had to do not-so-pleasant jobs to make money. Furthermore, we discussed the importance of budgeting and keeping track of our expenses as a student w...
2021-12-1244 minInternationalieEpisode 11: Dealing with UncertaintyThis week, I am joined by a very special guest, Selam. She is from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She studied at Seton Hall University in New Jersey majoring in Physics with a minor in Medical Humanities. She graduated early in December of 2020 and she is currently in the UK studying Global Health Science and Epidemiology at the University of Oxford.
In this episode we discussed our own journeys regarding uncertainty and how not knowing what is going to happen next, might not necessarily be a bad thing. We also shared our own struggles and how we dealt with the feeling of...
2021-11-1446 minInternationalieEpisode 10: Dealing with Time ManagementThis week, I am joined by my very dear friend Hilda. She is from Uganda and completed her undergraduate studies at Smith College in 2018 where she double majored in Government and African Studies. Hilda currently works at Africa Careers Network in Johannesburg, South Africa.
In this episode we discussed our journeys of trying to manage our time in college from figuring out what our priorities are to identifying aspects of our college life that we intentionally spend time on including exercising, investing in intentional friendships and trying new things. Furthermore, we discussed the importance of prioritizing our health in college...
2021-08-221h 08InternationalieEpisode 9: Dealing with Self-WorthThis week I am joined by my very dear friend Haime. Haime was born and raised in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. After graduating from high school in Ethiopia, she moved to Boston and attended Bunker Hill Community College and then transferred to Wentworth Institute of technology to study Architecture in which she is currently attending her last year.
In this episode, we discussed our journeys navigating self-worth, particularly as an international student in college. From imposter syndrome and the things that made us question our worth, to how we managed to consistently remind ourselves of our worthiness.
2021-06-3037 minInternationalieEpisode 8: Dealing with Coming Back HomeThis week I was joined by my very dear friend Asiya. She is from Karachi, Pakistan and was an international student at Mount Holyoke College, where she double majored in International Relations and Psychology. Currently, she is working as a Research Officer at the Collective for Social Science Research and works on multi-disciplinary projects with a focus on development, civic spaces, gender, democracy, mental health, youth well-being and qualitative research.
In this episode, we discussed the reasons behind our decisions to come back home after graduation, the interesting questions we received once we moved back and finding the courage to t...
2021-05-3144 minInternationalieEpisode 7: Dealing with IndependenceThis week I was joined by my very dear friend Feven. Feven is from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She is currently a senior student at Seton Hall University in New Jersey majoring in Nursing.
In this episode, we discussed how we each navigated our own independence while in college. From spiritual to financial independence and what it means to find your voice as an independent international student.
2021-04-3036 minInternationalieEpisode 6: Dealing with Career IndecisionThis week, I was joined by my very dear friend Anisha. She grew up in both the US and India and went to Smith College and graduated in May 2018. Her major was Chemistry and she is currently working as a research assistant in infectious disease epidemiology.
In this episode, we discussed our journey of career indecision, especially the moments that led us to choose a different path than the one set for us. We explored what it means to achieve success through choosing a career that makes you truly happy and fulfilled.
Tune-in to laugh, learn and appreciate the international...
2021-03-2841 minInternationalieEpisode 5: Dealing with Self-GrowthThis week, I was joined by my very dear friend Nishan S Kassahun. She is from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Nishan came to the US in 2016 with a basketball scholarship but took a different route to join North Carolina State University. In 2020, she got her Bachelors of Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources. Currently she working at Amazon and is also a part-time YouTuber with a Travel and Lifestyle based channel that explores and documents different parts of the world, nature, cultures and peoples way of life with the aim of taking people along on her a...
2021-02-2832 minInternationalieEpisode 5: Dealing with Self-WorthIn this episode, we explored what it means to have self-worth and the importance of having a sense of self-worth for international students.
2021-01-2722 minInternationalieEpisode 4: Dealing with Study AbroadThis week I was joined by my dear friend Patriciah. She is from Nairobi, Kenya and is currently a senior at Smith College. Patriciah is an Economics and Mathematics double major and is also pursuing a concentration in Global Financial Institutions.
In this episode, we explored our journeys dealing with study abroad while in college. We discussed the reasons why some international students decide to stay at their home institution while others decide to gain more study abroad experience. The highlight of this conversation was around the importance of challenging yourself as an individual and growing into a better person.
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2020-12-1343 minInternationalieEpisode 3: Dealing with Loss and Wellness (Part 2)This week, I was joined by my very dear friend Beti. She is from Ethiopia and currently she is a senior studying Chemistry at Smith College. She is involved in community health on campus and also in Sierra Leone.
In this episode, we explored our own personal wellness journey. We talked about how the habits we form in college play a significant role in our adult lives. We discussed how stress and wellness are interrelated and shared some tips on how to take better care of ourselves as international students in college.
Don’t forget to follow Beti’s fitness jour...
2020-11-2223 minInternationalieEpisode 3: Dealing with Loss and Wellness (Part 1)This week, I was joined by my very dear friend Beti. She is from Ethiopia and currently she is a senior studying Chemistry at Smith College. She is involved in community health on campus and also in Sierra Leone.
This episode was one of the most honest and raw conversations I have ever had. We talked about how we each dealt with loss in our own personal journeys in college. We discussed the stages of grief, how one grows from loss and how we can prepare ourselves.
Thank you Beti for being so open. As you said at the end...
2020-11-0825 minInternationalieEpisode 2: Dealing with ExpectationsThis week, I was joined by my very dear friend Anuska. Anuska is from Kolkata, India. She went to Smith College and graduated in May 2019. She double majored in Economics and Psychology. After graduation, she worked at a think-tank in Washington DC doing Economics and Policy research. She recently moved back to her home country India.
In this episode we talked about the expectations international students face either from themselves or their family members. We discussed how to best deal with the pressure and learn how to be kinder to ourselves. Tune-in to laugh, learn and appreciate the international student...
2020-10-2433 minInternationalieEpisode 2: Dealing with ExpectationsThis week, I was joined by my very dear friend Anuska. Anuska is from Kolkata, India. She went to Smith College and graduated in May 2019. She double majored in Economics and Psychology. After graduation, she worked at a think-tank in Washington DC doing Economics and Policy research. She recently moved back to her home country India.
In this episode we talked about the expectations international students face either from themselves or their family members. We discussed how to best deal with the pressure and learn how to be kinder to ourselves. Tune-in to laugh, learn and appreciate the international student...
2020-10-1800 minInternationalieEpisode 1: Dealing with RepresentationThis week, I was joined by my colleague and dear friend Makeda. She is from Addis Ababa and attended Addis Ababa University Law School. She then went to Boston College School of Law where she received her L.L.M in Human Rights and she is currently working within the Ethiopian judiciary.
In this episode, we had a conversation centered around representation and what it means to represent your culture as an international student 👩🏽🎓 🌍 We talked about navigating the space of being Ethiopian but also considered black in the US context and also the politics of hair. Tune in to laugh, learn a...
2020-09-2642 min2020-07-2400 min