International students share their K-State experience
Astrid Quezada learned to step outside her comfort zone. Adelaide Delali Klutse learned
the importance of servant leadership. Nar Ranabhat learned how to start conversations
about community and belonging.
Those life lessons are just some of the things these three K-State students will carry
with them after they graduate, in addition their degree.
We invited Quezada, Klutse and Ranabhat (pictured below, from left to right) to share
more about their experiences as international students on campus, and how their K-State
education will impact their careers and lives.
Why K-State?
Astrid Quezada is from La Ceiba, Honduras, and she came to K-State to pursue a master’s
in college student development. She said she was drawn to K-State because her significant
other is a K-State graduate, and also because of the influence of Ruth Newton, an
international student advisor.
“She was so good at communicating with students and just being a resource that I thought,
‘This is what I want to do for a living,’” Quezada said. “Coming from a small college
I just really loved the idea of the resources and support that I would have available
as a student at K-State.”
Adelaide Delali Klutse is from Ghana, and she came to K-State to pursue a master’s
in family studies and human services (with a specialization in applied family science).
She said she’s always been interested in working with children and families in underserved
communities and had been looking for opportunities to improve herself in order to
fulfill this passion. She decided to come to K-State after seeing the profile of her
major professor Bradford Wiles; she said she was excited about his work, which aligned
with her passion.
Nar Ranabhat, of Pokhara, Nepal, came to K-State to pursue a doctorate in plant pathology.
He said he was impressed by K-State because of its great research facilities, renowned
faculty members, excellent plant pathology program, and a supportive advisor.
Favorite memories
Quezada said one of the biggest highlights of her time here was being able to work
collectively with other international students as a member of the International Coordinating
Council. ICC is a group of international and American students and scholars representing
over 100 countries, working together to promote fellowship and cultural understanding
of people of diverse nationalities.
“Being involved in this student organization allowed me to meet some wonderful people
and gave me the opportunity to continue to develop my cultural awareness,” she said.
Klutse said one of her most memorable experiences at K-State was helping lead an Alternative
Breaks team on a service-learning trip to Colorado right before the pandemic started.
“That was my first extracurricular leadership role at K-State, and it was exciting,
particularly the de-stressor breaks we took to hike the mountains in Colorado and
getting to know the team on a very personal level,” said Klutse, who also was involved
with ICC during her time on campus.
Ranabhat enjoyed his experiences serving as president of the Nepalese Student Association
and also as a graduate school ambassador. He helped organize a “Nepali Night,” showcasing
Nepalese dances/songs and fashion shows to the Manhattan, Kansas, community.
During his doctoral research, he had the opportunity to visit several Kansas counties
and meet with wheat growers.
“The wheat fields around Kansas and the Flint Hills landscape are glorious to see,
and it’s a magnificent experience to have real-world experience and interact with
growers in person.”
Overcoming challenges
For these students, the COVID-19 pandemic became a defining part of their educational
experiences at K-State. Yet despite the challenges it posed, they found ways to overcome.
Quezada’s original plans for her assistantship did not work as planned due to the
pandemic, leaving her uncertain if she could complete her graduate program. Klutse
said the pandemic made it difficult to have the full student experience on campus.
Travel restrictions and safety concerns affected Ranabhat’s sample collectioning from
Kansas wheat fields in 2020 and 2021.
Still, they persevered, and now K-State is making their dreams possible.
Klutse said another challenge at K-State was acclimatizing to the American system
and getting out of her shell, and she’s proud of everything she’s been able to accomplish
here.
She coordinated Riley County’s first community baby shower — a science-informed baby
shower designed to educate families on safe sleep practices. She also worked with
the Cats’ Cupboard Ambassadors team to start Cupboard Crossings, designed to help
fight the stigma associated with food insecurity and using the on-campus food pantry.
Ranabhat said the COVID-19 pandemic actually made it easier to describe his research
exploring the importance of the wheat virus population from different wheat fields.
Some of his most significant accomplishments at K-State include winning a student
research grant from the Kansas Academy of Science and winning first place oral presentation
at the K-State GRAD Forum, an annual showcase of K-State graduate student research,
scholarly work and discovery.
A lifetime of learning
Quezada said one of the best things her K-State experience has taught her is not being
afraid to embrace opportunities that are outside her comfort zone.
“One of my professors once said to me, ‘If it scares you, walk towards it,’” Quezada
said. “This has been challenging advice to follow, but it has been rewarding and very
developmental.”
Quezada is thankful for the opportunities K-State has given her to gain hands-on experience
through her practicum sites, International Student and Scholar Services, and the International
Admissions Office. She plans to pursue a career in international education.
“I’ve had great leadership models that offered me a safe space to learn, gain professional
experience and opportunities to interact with students,” she said. “International
education is something I am very passionate about and the path that I would like to
pursue after graduation.”
Two things Klutse said she learned at K-State are that “family” is more than just
a word, and servant leadership is not just a concept, it can be lived.
“During my time at K-State, my appreciation of diversity and being genuinely concerned
about the well-being of others has increased because of the tangible actions related
to the concepts of family and leadership here,” said Klutse, who plans to enroll in
the human development and family studies program at Penn State after graduating. “In
my career, I will strive to live these concepts out by being welcoming and supportive.”
Ranabhat plans to work as a post-doctoral researcher in the K-State Department of
Plant Pathology. He will join the biosecurity lab and work under professor James Stack's
supervision.
One of his most impactful experiences was serving as a Wildcat Dialogue facilitator,
tackling the question of, “How do we create a community of belonging for all at K-State?”
“As a moderator in a small group of new students, the dialogue was started with videos
of KSU students sharing their personal stories of different sexual orientations and
races. I also shared my story as a minority international, first-generation student
and communicated as a member of the KSU family,” he said. “After this event, I realized
we could and need to work together to make a community of belonging for all, which
I will advocate for in my future career.”
