I stand in the beautiful office of the International Knowledge Center overlooking the center of Bangalore. I have been with the IKC since April 2011, and ever since it has been a fabulous journey.Born and brought up in Bangalore, I found an opportunity to complete my MBA in the USA, with a major in Marketing and Human Resource Management. Having studied in India, I enjoyed the different environment that I found at the Indiana University at Pennsylvania; I started enjoying the cross cultural experience with students flowing from all around, smaller classrooms, focused sessions with the professors, and the constant learning that was happening both in and out of the class. I had a bit of a struggle getting accustomed in the beginning, with my mind drifting off to missing my parents and friends back home, but once I settled down, it was a fun and incredible learning experience all the way. I also got to travel quite a bit across the country, thanks to my brother. I went to Disney and danced with Mickey, I went to LA and bathed in the beaches, I went to Minnesota and shivered in the cold, and I went to Chicago and NY and basked in the glory of the country. I found an interest in theatre roaming around in NY and discovered in myself an insatiable thirst in traveling and testing the foreign that continue to this day. In the recent years, I have been to Singapore, Malaysia, and I plan to explore Australia this Christmas.
After graduation, I started working in Atlanta for an SAP implementation company as a business analyst. As an analyst, I had the opportunity to speak to various companies, people in high posts occupying some of the most powerful positions in the world. I started wondering as to how these people got to those positions, and the one logical answer I found was a world-class U.S education and the varied experience they could obtain by being in the country made by immigrants from across the globe.
I moved back to India in 2010, with the desire to help people in India in any way I could. Although I was clueless at that point as to how I was going to achieve this, I knew that, this is what I truly wanted. It was during this time that I got a chance to speak with Girish, and well, the rest is history.
I work as a Recruiting Coordinator with the IKC and work mostly with students like me who are going to pursue their graduate studies in the U.S. As a Bangalorean, I understand how difficult it can be for students to obtain reliable information on schools abroad; thanks to my time in the US, I understand how important it is for students to know how they can grasp the opportunity to study abroad. In my 1 and half years with the IKC, I have come to love and cherish the relationships I build with the students; I strive to guide them along the best of paths to success, and to realize their goals. Being in the forefront of this platform is both challenging and exciting at the same time.
I love working in a world of knowledge that continuously challenges me. Interacting with professors, students and teachers flowing in from various walks of life, discussing their work and learning from the ways they put themselves out there, is an experience that can’t be paralleled with any wealth in the world.
Most importantly, I love working with the IKC team, who bring different cultural backgrounds and experiences. The energy they have at work makes me feel like being home.
Interview Time!
Jen: Suma, we all know that the IKC is your first love, but what do you do when you find yourself with spare time?
I like to socialize, and being a foodie I love exploring vegetarian treasures. People call me GPS because I know the city so well! And dancing is my passion – it has been since my childhood.
Ashok: What is it that inspires you to wake up every morning?
Nothing. I hate waking up! But once I start living my day, waking up is worth it. It’s the little things, like the little kid who waves to me when I’m driving down the street.
What questions do you have for Suma?