Graduate Profile: How International Student Found Home at GSU

When Neha Upasana was researching universities to pursue her Master of Science in Health Administration as a nurse in India, Governors State University (GSU) quickly became the obvious choice. Now a 2020 GSU graduate, she thinks back to how the university lived up to the three essentials she looked for as an international student.

“The first thing you look for is acceptance, and the diverse community at GSU are so welcoming and accommodating.”

Upasana also saw the community of Governors State as being beneficial to her learning experience.

“GSU’s community is as varied as the healthcare system, so it prepares students to go out into the world and give back. It serves the students with so much knowledge and we get to use that to serve the communities we work in.”

Her second consideration was quality of life, which she breaks it into two categories: academic life and social life.

“My academic life at GSU has provided me the opportunities and resources to continuously to learn and excel.”

In class, Upasana said the Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education (CAHME) accredited curriculum was impressive.

“It makes you more competitive as a future healthcare leader and fully able to work with the changing health system.”

For this, she thanks the entire department and their commitment to their students.

“All the faculty goes out of their way to help you. As an international student, you’re apprehensive about the whole educational system, but they’re so easy to approach and attentive to the students’ needs.”

For her social life, Upasana looks to the Office of International Services for making Prairie Place and GSU, truly her home.

“When I first came here it was so challenging, everything was new––the university, the country. The Office of International Services has helped students like me transition smoothly and lessen the culture shock. I’m so thankful for all the ways they helped me, even to meet other international students so I didn’t feel so homesick.”

Her final requirement was safety. With Governors State ranked as one of the safest university campuses in Illinois, she couldn't have picked much better.

“The infrastructure at GSU makes students feel so secure. GSU met all my requirements and it’s what helped me graduate successfully.”

For the future, Upasana hopes to be a nurse administrator for a non-profit organization anywhere in the world. Something she views all her experiences culminating in.

“My nursing degree taught me to save lives, my health administration degree taught me how to improve the quality of life. My past experiences and this experience will help me make a difference in the healthcare system, and to accommodate change in those systems.”

Wherever she lands, Upasana she feels confident she can help their community just as GSU and the people of the Chicagoland area helped her.

“I have loved it here. The weather may be cold but the people are so warm.”