Welcome to "We Are Cal", a weekly publication that brings you personal stories and unique perspectives through interviews with international students at UC Berkeley. Each post dives into the experiences of a different student, showcasing the diverse backgrounds, cultures, and journeys that make up our vibrant campus. From navigating life in a new country to sharing insights on their home cultures, our students provide a glimpse into the global mosaic that defines life at Cal.
Searing Into Your Soul Stanza By Stanza: Juliette Zhu, The Poet Behind "Poems For Berkeley"
Published 12/11/2024 by Praniti Gulyani
“I listen. I close my eyes and listen to how I’m feeling instead of logically analyzing it. And I feel like I obey whatever phrases come to me when I’m feeling it rather than trying to create something. I feel poetry is about delivering that something that thousands of humans have felt before you, and I’m like the vessel to draw that out,” she says.
Mapping The Distance Between A Grandmother’s Fingers and an Attorney’s Uniform: Christina Paz Arguello and Her Lola
Published 11/20/2024 by Praniti Gulyani
"As I was navigating these complex medical systems, I also realized how most of these systems were built against minority groups such as myself. This is when I was introduced to the concept of Medical Malpractice, something that I lost my Lola to,” she added. “This is why I want to work towards becoming an attorney specializing in Medical Malpractices. I will fight for my clients to get them the justice they deserve.”
International Education Week Spotlight: Suhasini Patra And Her Curated Concoction of Confidence
Published 11/18/2024 by Praniti Gulyani
I’ve heard so many people talk about the numerous roles that your friends are capable of playing in your life, but I don’t think I really experienced it until I met Suhasini who came into my life with broad-chested pitchers of confidence under her arms. Whenever I’d lose confidence or feel the ground of stability slipping beneath my feet, she would create a curated concoction of confidence and hand it to me. In each situation, she knew exactly what I needed and her magical ingredients, as I liked to call them, ranged from a scoop of sweet talk, a ladle of scoldings, or a sprinkle of rational reasoning.
When Actions Silence Words: Matteo Mion’s “Independent” Cal Experience
Published 11/13/2024 by Praniti Gulyani
Inspired by Mion’s globally-inclusive narrative, I ask him whether he’s been able to establish a sense of home for himself. “If you live in different countries, home is not related to a place,” he says. “You learn how to make home everywhere. Home is a place you create yourself.” Mion describes home as a byproduct of creation— as the end result of an artistic process where every step is executed with care.
If Resilience Had a Name and Voice: Kim Nasrallah and Her Experiences at Cal
Published 11/6/2024 by Praniti Gulyani
As I ask Kim about her life back home in Lebanon, she talks about the people of her land— her eyes soft and nostalgic. “We are party animals, and there’s a prominent duality inside us. Lebanon is a very resilient country, and the people are fun loving, but equally resilient as well. We’ve survived war, we’ve survived inflation, and we’ve survived an economic crisis. No matter what happens, we always rise with resilience,” she says.
A Bewildering Blizzard of Bliss: How Moksh Vinod Kothari Carried Familial Inspiration Across The Seven Seas
Published 10/30/2024 by Praniti Gulyani
“I think that being away from my brother has taught me a lot. I’ve realized how my experiences with him have given me some really important lessons that I continue to put into practice during my time as a student at Cal. For instance, my brother has taught me the art of being resilient! In India, other than his commitments at school, he goes through several therapies and activities. This, combined with the constant pressure of not fitting it, requires a lot of resilience and my brother possesses this in great quantities,” Moksh says.
Hang Out At The Glade Where Numbers Meet Creativity: Shivani V. Menon’s Unique Cal Perspective
Published 10/23/2024 by Praniti Gulyani
“Last semester, it was springtime, and when I was sitting with my friends on the glade, I realized that campus is actually so beautiful. This moment of inspiring realization brought me back to people-watching, an exercise that I would enthusiastically pursue when I used to do Creative Writing. Coming back to the glade helped me regain that feeling, and also helped me realize how much I had missed it,” she adds.
National Transfer Student Week Feature Piece: My Dedication to Maryam Ataie
Published 10/21/2024 by Praniti Gulyani
A transfer student, Maryam took to the UC Berkeley atmosphere with an almost enviable ease. In addition to being an incredible writer who captured the pincer-grasp of pain with precision, Maryam stood out to me as a considerate human being who actually cared about what you thought.
Swimming Through Storms of Structured Spontaneity: Alexandra Arion’s Exchange Semester at Cal
Published 10/16/2024 by Praniti Gulyani
“In the USA, I’m surprised to see how personal and opinion-driven everything is,” she says. “Over here, I find myself doing shorter papers and assignments that ask me how I feel about something or ask me to give my opinion. I like writing a lot, so writing shorter papers and coming straight to the point was quite challenging. Above everything else, I would always feel, who am I to give my opinion about something? However, being here has made me realize that I am someone and my opinion matters as well,” she adds.
Finding Family in Friends and Food: Hana Trieu and Her Experiences at Cal
Published 10/9/2024 by Praniti Gulyani
Throughout her undergraduate career at Berkeley so far, Hana emphasizes how her multi-ethnic identity helped her adapt very quickly to the diverse environment that Cal offers. “The biggest thing about being multi-ethnic, you can adapt very well. I don't think I had a problem finding a community for myself, because there are so many communities here at Cal."
Changing The World One Fin At A Time: A Glimpse Into Aarya Borele’s Sustainability Vision
Published 10/2/2024 by Praniti Gulyani
One of those challenges has been her work on marine conservation. Drawing upon the endless beyond-the-textbook opportunities offered by UC Berkeley, Borele describes her research on Whale Sharks— an effort that unexpectedly merged scientific research with deep emotional resonance. “I’ll never forget the baby shark we encountered,” she says.
A Bilingual Taste of Blue and Gold: Sanghun Byun’s Multi-Flavored Cal Experience
Published 9/25/2024 by Praniti Gulyani
“As an international student, I’ve had the opportunity to experience Korean, Indian and American culture. For the most part, I found myself confused as I tried to choose between these three identities,” Byun says. “However, coming to a place as diverse as UC Berkeley where people think and express in so many ways made me realize that I did not have to choose. I was able to form an identity of my own that combined the best of all three cultures,” he explains.
One Page of Succinct Joy: Exploring Anna Jung’s Exchange Semester at Cal
Published 9/18/2024 by Praniti Gulyani
“While I was loving my life at Cal, I have to say that I did encounter homesickness at several points. This is why I wrote about my dad’s car and the many memories that were associated with it. Whenever I would see a car that was similar to the car owned by my dad back home parked on the street, I would look at it wistfully, hoping that the door would open and he would step out— but obviously, that wasn’t possible,” Jung says.
Community, Acceptance and Omnipresent Inspiration: What Cal Means to Sanya Agarwal
Published 9/11/2024 by Praniti Gulyani
“I’m lucky to have found a solid friend group here at Cal,” she says. “As an international student, living away from home can get somewhat overwhelming. During finals week, for instance, I really miss having my mother around me. Back in India, she had her little ways of making exam time easier for me, and now that I’m away, I value that so much,” she adds.