A transformational experience
So Parvathi packed her bags for Vancouver.
“It was my first time moving away from home and I moved halfway around the world,” she says. “But UBC Sauder was such a warm environment, it was a very smooth transition.”
When Parvathi first arrived at UBC Sauder, she took part in an orientation program called Jump Start. Designed both for international and domestic students, it helped Parvathi with practical things like setting up a bank account and also helped her cultivate a tightknit community.
“I built an international group of friends at UBC Sauder during those first weeks,” she says. “And I’m still friends with them to this day.”
In her UBC Sauder classes, Parvathi found a similarly international makeup.
“Diversity in the classroom is invaluable,” she says. “Having students from every background who all brought their own experiences, made our project work and group discussions infinitely richer.”
While Parvathi learned a lot from her peers, she learned even more from her instructors.
“My instructors were like mentors to me,” she says. “They helped me gain a confidence in the classroom that has completely transformed me outside the classroom as well.”
In her classes she was introduced to two skills in particular that have proven invaluable in her career: business writing and business communications.
“Those classes opened my mind to a new way of doing things that have made me a far more effective communicator, which is a critical skill in my career now,” she says.