How did you get interested in joining the international students committee and the student Council?

Gulati: I was nominated by a friend who said I would be a good fit for the role. After learning more about the Student Council and in particular, the international student affairs agency, I realized there was a lot of opportunities to improve resources available to international students on Grounds especially around event planning during breaks and the Career Center for future recruitment purposes.

How is your Fall semester going?

Gulati: My fall semester is going well. I have been getting involved in different things around Grounds and feel that I have met some great people this semester! My co-director Lexie and I have formed a very strong partnership over summer and am looking forward to continuing to work with her and all the new members in International Student Affairs. I feel as though I have found a place here in the UVa community in the last year.

What would be your advice to other international students at UVA?

Gulati: In my first semester last year, I would get homesick quite often and it was very difficult to adjust. However, once I started getting more involved in organization on Grounds, I found myself interacting with amazing communities that made me feel more at home. My advice to international students is take as many opportunities as you can get because at the end of the day we all came to Charlottesville from another country to be immersed in a completely new culture and it’s important that we get the best experience that we can!