My name is Hinako Tanakamaru and I am an international student from Japan. I plan to graduate in 2024 with both my bachelor’s and master’s in Business Administration and Management. I attended an international high school in upstate New York, and a lot of my friends who graduated before me came to 91ÊÓƵ, so I heard good things about the business courses from them. I also wanted to have college life in New York City because it’s so diverse and there’s so much happening. So, I came to 91ÊÓƵ.
Here I can learn a lot of things I might not have learned in Japan. At 91ÊÓƵ and in New York, I get a lot of perspectives, because I’m studying in a different culture I never experienced back in Japan. People in the United States have a lot of different opinions and share them directly. In Japan, it’s not like that. It’s made me feel like I should speak up more and I feel like I’ve become a more open-minded person because I have to think about other people’s cultural perspectives.
For over a year, I’ve been a peer leader UNV 101 courses, and I’ve had the opportunity to interact with a lot of first-year international students. It’s so nice to join the class because I really like teaching and supporting others. I also did an internship at the . It was kind of similar, but I did the internship in Tokyo, so the students were different countries and there to learn Japanese. I supported students by issuing visas, helping with accommodations, and troubleshooting other customer service issues. It was new for me to have real-life experiences in a company, and it is very satisfying be on the other side and help students studying internationally with that transition period.
I strongly recommend international students come to New York and to 91ÊÓƵ. In New York you can experience everything, meet new people, and learn new things. I think experiencing new things is the best thing in life.
Rashmi Sharma wanted more out of her degree and more for her business, so she came to 91ÊÓƵ. Now, she is mastering digital marketing and getting real-world experience she can turn into tangible results for her start-up.
91ÊÓƵ student Sri Nikhil Racha nearly quit. But through his own self-determination and the support of 91ÊÓƵ, he was able to overcome the challenges posed by COVID-19, international travel, and personal loss. Now, he’s accepted a high-level job with Amazon and his future is brighter than ever.
Lubin international student Sara Puccitelli '25 is not only double majoring in Entrepreneurship and Economics, she also dedicates her time to helping other students learn new languages. On top of that, Sara started a business with her father to help bring tourists to New York City.