By Stephanie Ovitt | Program Associate
Sadeka | Sunamganj, Bangladesh | Major Undeclared
Sadeka has been having a busy year since joining the Pathways program at AUW. Some of the classes she has taken so far are Reading Across Disciplines, Language and Composition, Pre-Calculus, and World Civilizations. She is excited about all of her upcoming classes and reflects that her favorite class so far has been Pre-Calculus, because she loved the course material and enjoys drawing charts. Outside of class, she participates in the Debate Club and Speak Up (Against Violence Against Women) Club in addition to playing badminton, learning to dance, and practicing martial arts.
Sadeka says that she loves the teachers she has had so far at AUW. She says that they are so friendly to her and that they help her overcome any problem that she brings to them. Sadeka says that she faced challenges coping with the increased difficulty of her classes after she progressed from her Pathways courses to the Access Academy. However, she said that the support of her teachers gave her confidence—that and her hard work are helping her achieve good grades in all of her classes.
When asked about an issue that she is passionate about, Sadeka voices her concerns about stigma surrounded women pursuing higher education in her home community. “Firstly, parents think girls do not need higher education; they think that girls should stay home and do household chores. Secondly, many people perceive it is not safe for girls to go to school because they could be raped by someone. Finally, early marriage stops children from going to school.” Sadeka is committed to addressing this problem. “I can convince people that education is important for girls. If girls receive higher education, they are less likely to be oppressed by their husbands or society. Moreover, I can portray the disadvantages of early marriage for uneducated girls.” Sadeka sets high goals for herself, and aims to one day become the Deputy Commissioner of Bangladesh so that she can help guide her country’s development.
Lucky | Chadpur, Bangladesh | Major Undeclared
Lucky is determined to share her skills with those around her. In addition to her Pathways courses, she spends a large amount of time volunteering with different clubs and organizations. Lucky especially enjoys volunteering as a community teacher with the Women Across Borders Club and working with the Animal Welfare Club to raise funds to feed and vaccinate local stray animals, making the streets around AUW safer for everyone. Lucky also loves to stay active, and enjoys karate and learning dance with the Dance Club. She also loves to celebrate those around her and shares that the Pathways Talent Show was her favorite memory from Fall 2016.
For Lucky, adjusting to an all-English academic environment has been the biggest challenge. She shares that speaking in English proved very challenging at the beginning. When asked how she overcame this hurdle, Lucky says, “Practice, practice, practice!” Despite the challenge, English was her favorite course. “Now I can easily communicate and speak in English with others,” she says. Lucky wants to share her new skills with others who have fewer opportunities. She is currently engaged in a teacher training that gives AUW students the skills to teach basic English to children who might not otherwise get an education as part of AUW’s Education Cells initiative. Lucky shares that this is what she is most excited for at AUW this fall. In addition to her teacher training classes, Lucky as acts as a peer mentor.
Lucky hopes to continue to work in education in the future as well. “I constantly think about different jobs, but there is only one that I would consider calling my ‘dream job.’ I want to be a teacher because our future is in the hands of our children. Children are the future. Teach them well and let them lead the way,” she shares. Lucky explains why she is passionate about education, saying, “More education means not only better jobs and more affluence, but also a greater sense of control over one’s life. People with more education have more choices in health, housing, careers, and other areas that affect the quality of their lives.”
Sathy | Barisal, Bangladesh | Intended Major: Economics
Sathy is very grateful to have the opportunity to attend AUW. “I am really pleased to study at AUW. It is the most extraordinary university I have ever known or seen,” she shares. When asked what she has enjoyed most about AUW so far, Sathy shares, “All of my memories here are my favorite, but the most enjoyable was Chinese New Year show.” In addition to attending the New Year’s celebrations from different countries last semester, Sathy also was excited to participate in the International Mother Language Day event as an actor in a drama.
In addition to staying engaged with activities on campus, Sathy also works hard to do well academically. She reports that her professors have been very supportive when she was studying to take the Access Academy admissions exam. Sathy is excited about the prospect of moving up to Access Academy and learning even more.
Sathy is particularly committed to the cause of education. “I am passionate about education. It is a big issue for me because there are people who do not have the ability to get higher education from any university, and they are not able to study. I want to stand with those students who do not have access but want to continue their studies. I will do so by making a community who wants to help them.” Sathy plans to take build her career around helping these students. She explains, “My dream job is to be a very good professor. I would like to nurture the poor students.”
Shimo | Brahmanbaria, Bangladesh | Intended Major: Economics
Shimo is enjoying working on her reading, writing, listening, speaking, and math skills in class. Shimo’s favorite class is math, which she feels will serve her well as she plans to major in Economics. Shimo initially struggled with her new classes and environment at AUW, but is proud of how much she has overcome through her hard work. “When my new classes started, I did not understand anything because I had not done math in English, so I was very concerned. I did not understand what I had to do. So, I told my roommates about my problem and they told me to work hard at it. After that, I practiced math for two hours every day. Now, it comes easily to me and I understand everything.”
Shimo is applying for internships and looking forward to advancing to the Access Academy. Outside of class, Shimo volunteers by mentoring other students. She also plays cricket and performed a dance during the campus Lunar New Year celebration. Her favorite memory from last year was a dinner that she and her friends cooked together to celebrate finishing their Fall semester exams.
Shimo is passionate about working to advance women’s rights in her home country. She says that many superstitious beliefs negatively impact women, and that she wants to work on teaching her community that these beliefs are dated and that women deserve equal rights, treatment, and access to education. Shimo hopes to become a banker because she enjoys math, economics, and working with teams of people from around the world. In addition to her career goals, Shimo also envisions a future where she works to establish nursing homes to care for the elderly members of her home community who do not have children to take care of them.
Monika | Rajshahi, Bangladesh | Major Undeclared
Monika has been very busy so far at AUW. In addition to her classwork, she has been enjoying being involved in the Speak Up Against Violence Against Women Club and the Guitar Club. She also enjoys staying active and participates in the Badminton Club and Martial Arts Club. One of Monika’s favorite things about these clubs is that she gets to make friends with students from all different backgrounds and nationalities. Monika’s favorite memory from this year has been meeting so many different people. “When I came here I met with many foreign people and started to speak in English even though I was not yet very good at it,” she shares. Her favorite part of the Pathways program so far has been the English classes. “I like to speak in English and learn more,” Monika explains. Monika is determined to do well in all of her courses.
Monika has a good idea of what she wants for her future. “My dream job is to be a journalist, because I like to write, gather new information and speak in public,” she says. She also wants to give back to her community, saying “I am passionate about female education, and I want to do volunteer work as a teacher.”
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