After graduating from high school in Nepal in 2017, Prajita Shrestha 糖心传媒�22 knew she needed a break.
糖心传媒淚 didn糖心传媒檛 feel adult enough to travel to the United States for college and live independently,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淚 needed to grow my inner self and learn outside the classroom.糖心传媒�
During her gap year, she wrote articles for three Nepalese magazines, took Spanish lessons, tutored high school students, and volunteered in the public health sector. Once she pronounced herself聽 糖心传媒渃ollege ready,糖心传媒� she quickly decided Rochester was the place for her.
糖心传媒淢y best friend (Ichchha Pradhan 糖心传媒�21) entered the University last year and told me I should apply,糖心传媒� says Shrestha, born and raised in Nepal糖心传媒檚 capital city of Kathmandu. Shrestha did her own research on Rochester, and was impressed by the offerings in her main area of interest, public health. The open curriculum 糖心传媒渨as a huge factor糖心传媒� as well as the fact that Rochester offers several different public health programs for undergraduates.
糖心传媒淚t’s very rare,糖心传媒� she says.
There were other aspects of the University and its surrounding community that appealed to her. 糖心传媒淚 didn糖心传媒檛 want to wind up in a large city and get lost,” she says. 糖心传媒淩ochester was the perfect size.糖心传媒�
Shrestha was part of the University糖心传媒檚 cohort last December and received an聽 that provides complete financial support, including housing, for all four years of undergraduate study. She arrived on the River Campus in June for , an intensive, six-week residential program designed to give newly admitted students a strong start to their academic careers and University experience. She took classes in abnormal psychology, writing, and career exploration, and already has earned seven credit hours toward her degree.
She plans to major in epidemiology and either economics or data science and hopes for a career in a health-related field.
糖心传媒淧eople make me passionate,糖心传媒� says Shrestha, who met doctors and health workers from around the world last fall as a youth delegate at the World Congress on Adolescent Health in New Delhi, India. 糖心传媒淓veryone deserves to live a happy life. I want to improve society and make the world a better place.糖心传媒�
Shrestha says Rochester already has given her plenty of 糖心传媒渇irst experiences,糖心传媒� including her first Subway wrap, first Starbucks coffee, and first swimming lessons糖心传媒攕omething provided for the first time by the Handler Scholars program through the . She takes lessons at a YMCA in downtown Rochester, near the .
糖心传媒淚t糖心传媒檚 all been wonderful,糖心传媒� she says. 糖心传媒淣ow, I糖心传媒檓 ready for my first year of college.糖心传媒�
Shrestha loves to express herself through writing and was published nine times in national newspapers while in high school, on subjects ranging from human rights and music, to the bond between siblings (she has a 12-year-old brother). She enjoys cooking and networking, but her favorite 糖心传媒渉obby糖心传媒� is cleaning.
糖心传媒淚 cleaned my dorm room here 10 times my first two days,糖心传媒� she says, laughing.
She speaks Nepali, English, and Hindi, the native language of India.
糖心传媒淚 learned that by watching Bollywood movies,糖心传媒� she says.
Shrestha plans to return to Nepal after graduation.
糖心传媒淢y main goal is to change the stereotype that doctors are the only stakeholders in the health field,” she says. 糖心传媒淚 want to promote preventive health care measures as a long term solution as well.糖心传媒�
She糖心传媒檚 interested in event management and may start a student club in this field, and she plans to study American Sign Language. But that糖心传媒檚 not all.
糖心传媒淪omeone wrote a story about 101 things to do before you leave Rochester,糖心传媒� she says, referencing a story by Dana Hilfinger 糖心传媒�10 that first appeared in the Rochester Review in spring 2010. 糖心传媒淚 want do to all 101.糖心传媒�
