Global UGrad Program
From receiving the acceptance email from United States Educational Foundation in Pakistan, to flying back to Pakistan, the Global UGrad Exchange Program has been a life-changing experience. After being shortlisted as a scholarship grantee, I did an internship with one of the top-reputed organizations of Pakistan, FFC. I also received merit based scholarship from my university, volunteered at various societies and finally, went to America for a semester, on a scholarship that covered all my expenses and was estimated at $23,000.
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While staying at University of Minnesota Crookston (UMC), I also worked as a cultural ambassador of Pakistan, taking part in dozens of events and completing over 40 hours of community service simultaneously. During my stay there, I made Mongolian, Chinese, Korean, South African, Zimbabwean, Mexican, Bangladeshi, Nepali, Ukrainian and Indian friend, and memories that I will cherish forever. It wasn’t hard getting recognition there, because I actively participated in a variety of events. I made it to newspapers like CrookstonTimes and GrandForksherald for speaking with Kiwani’s club and participating in Martin Luther King Jr.’s day, respectively. I secured a place in Dean’s List for Spring 2017, based on my performance at UMC. Traveling to various U.S. states, meeting people of diverse cultures, and studying in a different academic system, was like a dream come true. I feel blessed to be where I am today, and indeed, one should strive for what she/he desires, and keep walking towards the goal, one-step at a time.
