Leadership lived: International student gains professional experience thanks to the Graduate Public Service Internship Program

Geetu Sharma came to the United States to be part of the Graduate Public Service Internship Program at the University of Illinois Springfield.

“It's a phenomenal work experience, which is provided by UIS to all the grad students,” she said. “We get the opportunity by interviewing with some of the state agencies and they hire us.”

In October 2018, Sharma started interning in the Office of Health Promotion at the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) where she works to prevent cases of youth suicide.

“I'm currently assisting with the youth suicide prevention project, along with researching what other states are doing about suicide prevention,” she said. “I'm also part of suicide alliance committee here.”

Sharma, who is earning her master’s degree in public health at UIS, is also active on campus as the Graduate Student Senator on the Student Government Association and president of Asian Student Organization. She previously worked as an International Student Ambassador where she helped welcome new students and planned events.

“Coming to the United States was always my dream,” she said. “Being here I have learned how to communicate with people, how your voice is important, along with that how this whole professional world works in America.”

Sharma was working as a dentist in New Delhi, India when she found out about the Graduate Public Service Internship Program from two friends who attend UIS. She wanted to gain more professional experience in the United States.

“They both told me about UIS,” she said. “They told me about this Graduate Public Service Internship Program and that was the only reason that I came to UIS.”

Following graduation from UIS, Sharma would like to work for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the United States.

“I am really blessed to be at UIS because whatever UIS gave me in this past one year, it's amazing,” she said. “Like it was not easy, but whatever I've achieved is something I really appreciate and I will just say I'm blessed.”

Leadership lived: UIS Tennis player “steps out of her shell” to help people in need and support international students

Tennis player Mae Flight, a global studies major, says the University of Illinois Springfield has taught her to be more outgoing and seek out leadership roles where she can make a difference.

“I’m a serious introvert, so since coming to UIS I have stepped out of that shell and I’ve put myself in a lot of leadership roles and just put myself out there to get myself comfortable with meeting new people and speaking in public,” she said.

At UIS, Flight is co-president of the Habitat for Humanity Club where she spends time helping with building projects in the Springfield community.

“I like being involved with Habitat because for me it’s a way to give back to the community, she said. “I am a very hands on person. I like to meet the people that we’re building this house for because they’re so grateful and it’s that feeling when they have smiles on their face.”

Flight also helps newly arriving international students feel at home at the University of Illinois Springfield as an International Student Ambassador and by working in the Office of International Student Services.

“We are here as liaisons in a way between domestic students and the international students,” she said. “I’m super invested in other cultures. I love learning languages.”

Flight decided to come to UIS because she was recruited to play on the UIS women’s tennis team. She started playing the game when she was only 10-years-old.

“I think tennis and even being a student-athlete in general has helped me since being in high school because it helped me become organized with my life and knowing that I did have something else besides school,” she said.

Following graduation from UIS, the Charleston, Illinois native would like to teach English as a second language to elementary school students.

Leadership lived: International student finds her career path thanks to a unique UIS internship program

When international student Madhuri Podipireddy started searching for a college in the United States she discovered the University of Illinois Springfield’s Graduate Public Service Internship Program (GPSI), a governmental internship program that allows students to work for a state agency while earning their master’s degree.

“My main thing was the GPSI Program, which really attracted me to UIS,” she said. “It’s a very unique program. You don’t find this everywhere in the United States.”

Podipireddy is now a leader in the GPSI program, serving as secretary of the student organization. The graduate Management Information Systems major just started her second semester interning for the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services as a business analyst in the Department of Innovation and Technology.

“This internship has actually helped me to understand what I’m good at and what field I need to choose after my education,” she said.

On campus, Podipireddy is president of the Indian Student Organization and YesPlus Yoga, a program that teaches students stress management techniques and other skills. She is also the treasurer for International Student Friendships, an organization that helps international students adjust to the culture in the United States.

“Being an international student is not really a difficult task at UIS because you always have something happening on campus that will remind you of home and you will not feel alone, never, on this campus and you will always feel at home on this campus,” she said.

Podipireddy, who is from Visakhapatnam, India, says she would like to continue her career as a business analyst following graduation from UIS.

She says she’ll never forget what she’s learned at UIS.

“Leadership lived is the concept of UIS and I think because of so many organizations, I’ve been given so many opportunities to bring out the leader in me.”

Leadership lived: Love of music brings international student to UIS

Music has been a part of Yu Shao’s life since she was six-years-old. That’s when she first started playing the Guzheng, a traditional Chinese instrument with thousands of years of history.

“I love the voice, I love the tune so much,” she said. “It’s a 21 string instrument. It gives you a lot of flexibility to create your own music or focus on the composer’s music to express yourself.”

Shao says it was her love of music that brought her to the University of Illinois Springfield where she is majoring in accountancy and is a Camerata Music Scholar. She regularly sings with the UIS Chorus and plays in small ensembles.

Shao is vice president of the Student Accounting Society and helps other international students adjust to campus life as a student worker for the Office of International Student Services. She answers student questions over the phone and by email and helps plan important events.

“I highly recommend UIS to the international students because our campus is super fun,” she said. “We have a lot of traditional activities that are fun for the international student to get involved in, such as Springfest and the International Student Festival.”

Shao admits that it was a challenging transition to leave China and come to the United States. However, she says she now feels at home at UIS.

“My English was poor when I came here, but I got enrolled in Intensive English Program classes for one semester and it really helped me to get involved in American culture and to get to know more about English,” she said.

Following graduation from UIS, Shao would like to stay in the United States and pursue her master’s degree and find a job in the business field.

“I think the biggest things I’ve learned from UIS is take advantage of any challenges,” she said. “I believe that if a thing doesn’t challenge you, it doesn’t change you at all.”

Leadership lived: International student learns about other cultures at UIS

International graduation student Aman Tummala, a Management Information Systems major from India, loves to meet new people and learn about other cultures. He’s getting that opportunity at the University of Illinois Springfield.

“There’s a lot of people coming here from other countries,” said Tummala. “I find everyone over here, so I can talk with them. I help myself by learning things from them.”

Tummala is president of the Indian Student Organization and the International Artists & Music Organization and vice president of the International Student Association. He is a member of the Association of Information Systems (AIS) and is a student employee at Brookens Library.

He recently helped plan a welcome party for new international students attending UIS, in conjunction with the Office of International Student Services.

“From my end, I’ve been leading the Indian Student Organization, so there is a pressure on me in making sure the event goes well,” he said.

UIS was at the top of Tummala’s list when applying for graduate school because of the Management Information Systems program and the right-sized campus.

“The best thing about UIS is the professors, the students and the management and the infrastructure here,” he said. “The University of Illinois Springfield is the best place to study.”

Before coming to UIS, Tummala worked for major companies in India, including Google. Following graduation, he plans to return to India and start his own company.

“I would just like to thank my parents and the University of Illinois Springfield for giving me and opportunity to be a part of this university and to learn skills and just be myself,” he said.

Leadership lived: International student takes on leadership roles at UIS

Nikhil Reddy Gudur chose UIS because he wanted to earn a University of Illinois degree. Now, the graduate Management Information Systems major is a leader on campus.

He is president of the Indian Student Organization and was elected internal vice president of the Student Government Association during a campus-wide vote.

“I got elected to be on the board to solve the issues of the students and be their voice,” said Gudur.

As an elected leader, he’s learned valuable lessons about leadership. He’s improved his ability to manage multiple tasks and to communicate. He’s also helped to plan large campus events, such as the Durga Dance night on campus.

As a native of Hyderabad, India, he has found UIS to be a welcoming place for international students.

“I’d recommend international students apply to UIS. You’ll have fun here,” he said.

UIS professor Rosina Neginsky organizes an international conference

Rosina Neginsky, associate professor of Comparative Literature at the University of Illinois Springfield, is organizing an international conference called “Angst in Symbolist Movement: Its Origins and Its Consequences". The conference is June 4-6, 2015 at the University of Paris IV in Sorbonne, France.

The conference is co-sponsored by the Symbolism, Art, Literature and Music in Symbolism and Decadence Research Center, founded by Neginsky. Other co-sponsors include the University of Illinois, The University of Paris IV-Sorbonne, the National Minister of Education in France and Research Council of the University of Paris-Sorbonne.

For more information, visit the conference website.

Leadership lived: International student becomes leader on campus

When Lakshmi Prathusha Puppala traveled from India to the University of Illinois Springfield she didn’t know much about the campus. However, in her first two semesters on campus, she’s become heavily involved.

The graduate Computer Science major is president of the Indian Student Organization – Cultural, vice president of Global Sisterhood and Casera, an arts and crafts organization.

Puppala also works as a student worker at the UIS Women’s Center and recently took part in the Take Back the Night march and rally to end violence against women.

“Working in the Women’s Center really has been a great experience for me,” she said. “There are many events, every Friday we have TGIF, and now we are having Take Back the Night.”

She says UIS has taught her many leadership skills, such as how to plan a successful event.

“After coming to UIS, I really feel like UIS has given me a great platform to show who I am and show leadership skills,” said Puppala.

She’s also made many friends on campus both from the United States and elsewhere. “I have many international friends here,” she said. “It helps me to know more about different cultures and things that are happening in different countries.”

Overall, she would recommend UIS to fellow international students.

“I love UIS. It’s given me many memories and experiences,” she said.

Leadership lived: UIS student helps international students feel at home

Zehra Özkan Shahidi, a senior communication major, is working to bring an international perspective to the University of Illinois Springfield. The Turkish native hopes by educating the UIS community about other parts of the world she can make a difference.

“If they can understand our culture it will be more helpful to everyone,” said Shahidi.

Shahidi is the president of the International Student Association at UIS. The association is made up of students from India, Russia, Turkey, China, Japan, and other parts of the world.

She regularly organizes social events for international students, often hosting them at her home. Shahidi also volunteers at events, such as the International Student Festival, which brings members of Springfield community to UIS to learn about other cultures each year.

“We have really good opportunities at UIS and I’m so proud to say that I’m one of the students at UIS, that I’m one of those leaders,” said Shahidi.

Shahidi is also organizing a conversational language program, which will be offered free of charge to all members of the UIS community. The program will give students, faculty, and staff a chance to learn other languages from native speakers.

Following graduation from UIS, she plans to remain on campus and pursue her master’s degree in Liberal and Integrative Studies. She is grateful for the abundance of opportunities that UIS has offered her as an international student in a supportive community.

“Leadership is really important for us. You can get good experience for your future. You can use all of those experiences and good relationships,” said Shahidi.

Shahidi values the time she spends helping other international students.

“Our relationship is kind of more family based,” she said.