Devi Sri Sudha Unnava, ’23 M.Arch

Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts

Phoenix, AZ

Starting school in Fall 2020 as an international grad student was a completely different experience for me. Everything was so calm, quiet, and pleasant on campus, which I bet doesn't come to our mind when we think about campus life at ASU. I used to be on campus every day because of my part-time on-campus Job at M.U., walking around [the] area as a part of my job while enjoying the sounds of nature and observing flowers and birds, as I process my thoughts. I can never forget how supportive everyone was, both at my job and in my class, when I was going through a rollercoaster of a ride after my 1st semester, as I mourned the loss of my dad and 2 more first family members back home (In India). 

I appreciate all the help and support I received from my peers and mentors as I got back on my feet and started sprinting to build my career in the States, as an international first-generation international student.”