roam's First Newsletter!

Hi all!

Welcome to roam’s first newsletter. We simplify migration for international students like you in two ways:

• By helping you build a tight-knit community and find your support system before you step foot on campus.

• By putting together all the resources you need to start you life in the US, saving you thousands of dollars along the way.

I’m Ansh Mundra, btw! Chief Growth Officer here at roam. You might have seen me on our IG page or my own.

Here’s the plan: We pop up in your email every Friday with three main items of interest. A story, some tips and tricks, and an update on roam’s growth.

Story: This section will be dedicated to showcasing the journey of a former/current international student in the US. The high, lows, and learnings, all the in the voice of the person themselves. We want these stories to serve as a source of motivation and inspiration to you. We hope that you find something to learn from those who have already walked on the path you are about to embark on.

Tips and Tricks: Here, we will share actionable tips and tricks to give you an edge over your peers. This will be advice related to career growth to life skills to academics and everything in between. Anything we think we would have wanted our younger selves to know.

roam’s Growth: Finally, we will share progress updates on what we are working on, feedback from you, future steps, and much more.

Alright! Now that the scene is set, let’s open the curtains, shall we?

Brenelle Braganza’s 10-Year Journey in the US

Our first story is that of Brenelle Braganza. She is currently a Senior Associate Project Manager at Oracle, completed her Bachelor’s from Marymount Manhattan College, and her Master’s from Purdue University. She is a beloved mentor at roam and was one of our first speakers in our weekly webinar series. We want to express our sincere gratitude to Brenelle for allowing us to feature her story in our newsletter. Everything you read below is in her words. Raw. Vulnerable. Brave.

Imagine being a teenager in 2010 and watching Step Up 3D at the movies. I joke about how that movie was instrumental in making me instantly being obsessed with the idea of going to college in the best city in the world – New York City. I was 13 when that movie came out, and I'm 26 now. The only thing that has changed is that I'm living my dream.  At 17, that dream became my reality - I was living out what 13-year-old Brenelle had imagined. However, it wasn’t rainbows and sunshine or dancing on the streets of NYC. There was dancing on the streets, but that came later. Way later.

Moving to a new country as a teenager comes with a whirlwind of excitement, uncertainty, and endless possibilities. Imagine uprooting everything familiar – the comforting scent of home-cooked meals, the cadence of a native language spoken effortlessly, hearing the metro door say Al Abvaab u Tugh-lak (“doors closing” in Arabic) – and stepping into the unknown. It was an eleven thousand and eleven-mile leap. A leap into a world where street signs carry unfamiliar symbols, each accent tells a story yet to be understood, and the simplest daily tasks become thrilling adventures. I can only describe my international student journey as a transformation of my identity and perspective, while navigating the delicate balance between holding onto my roots and reaching for new horizons.

My first two years of college involved a lot of learning and unlearning. In my first writing class, I had a professor call me into her office and ask me if English was my first language. Why? Because I didn't spell the "correct way”. I believe what she meant to say was that I didn’t spell the American way. Instances like these made me miss home and the life I had. It made me feel different. However, feeling different isn't always a bad thing. The different I am talking about is the kind of different that makes you feel less than and not celebrated. I experienced microaggressions and stereotyping. I was one of two people in my school that were from Dubai and one of 3 people that were Desi. I got questions and statements like, "Wow, your English is so good," or "How did you get to school?" At first, I thought people wanted to get to know me so I would answer and educate them and ignore their ignorance. But the more I got questions like these, the less patient I got. I snapped once and said, "I went to school on a camel, and I had a tiger as a pet". That day, I learned to read people’s tones along with their intentions.

A few years ago, someone asked me where I was from. I asked them if they wanted the long or short answer. They replied saying, "Surprise me.” Remember I said I understood people’s tones and intentions? Well, this person was well-intentioned and wanted to get to know me. After a few years you become a pro at these things; follow your instinct – she is never wrong. I told this person that "I was born in India, raised in Dubai, and moved to New York when I was 17 and been here since". He looked at me and said, "Huh, I thought you were from here.” I know this person didn’t mean any harm. They were being honest, but their honesty hurt. Since my first year of college, I tried to assimilate. I think I did it too well because now I don’t remember what my accent sounds like. At first, I switched my accent so I would be taken seriously in classes or because I hated repeating myself. But now, my ‘switch’ has become my accent. That’s when I realized I don’t remember what I sound like anymore. You can add my accent to the list of things I have sacrificed to live my dream. I know that sounds sad, but it’s the truth.

The best part of being an international student is that every day becomes a mosaic of challenges and discoveries: deciphering the nuances of a new school system, learning to navigate the bustling city streets, and tasting foods that dance on the tongue in flavors both comforting and exotic. That became my new normal. My life was far from what you saw on Gossip Girl, but it was just as exciting. While life was exciting and I was immersing myself in the melting pot that is New York, there was an undercurrent of homesickness. It’s a feeling I have encountered often in the past decade. While I was having these life-altering experiences, everyone I had left behind was experiencing their own version of it. The only difference was that they got to go home to their family, and I went to an empty room. New York can be very lonely even when you are around a lot of people. All I wanted in those moments was to lay my head on my mom's lap while we chatted about all my drama, or even a hot cup of Filli ki Chai and a Shawarma.

As an international student, you learn a lot during your time in the States. You learn how to do taxes, build credit, become a guru in finding the best deals, and become an ace mover, but most importantly, you learn that saying goodbye to your loved ones gets harder every time. I know it was for me. The goodbyes hurt too much, and all the international student memes hit different and hard. But you know what? Every goodbye brings a new hello.

There is a beauty in being an international student.  I think international students should come with a warning label that says, "BE CAREFUL, BUILT DIFFERENT.” I say this because life in America is not for the faint of heart. We don’t give up very easily; we have too much to prove. We are built different. I know this because moving here has made me resilient. It has tested me in ways I could have never imagined, and I know I'm better for it. I was a finance girlie until I decided that being a tech girlie came with more benefits. All jokes aside, I know most international students come here to create their own version of the "American Dream," and over the years that has gotten significantly more difficult. During my junior year of college, I secured an internship with one of the biggest financial institutions in America. After countless hours of networking, coffee chats, interview prep, and interviews, I had broken into finance. I was a finance bro. In that moment, every missed family birthday, anniversary, trip, or phone call was all worth it. I had made it.

I tasted the sweet success that came with all of my hard work. But my happiness was short-lived. One very cold, freezing February evening, I got a call from someone saying they were rescinding the offer. That day was the worst day of my life. Everything I had sacrificed was taken from me. I was heartbroken; my internship broke up with me, and I didn’t even know why. It hit me in waves. I cried for hours like someone had died; I was mourning the death of my career. I felt defeated, ashamed, and felt like I had let everyone who believed in me down. The next day, I started applying to more internships because I was not about to give up. I was going to do everything in my power to have an internship for the summer. But I failed. It was too late, and I had to tell my advisor what happened. The worst part about telling someone about the bad thing that happened in your life is that it makes it REAL. In my case, my advisor was the head of the business division at my college. I walked into her office and told her what happened. I couldn’t look at her because I was so ashamed. I cried in her office. Two days later, I was called into my career center, and the head of the department told me that my offer was back on the table. If I wanted it. Now, I don’t know how that happened, but it did, and I will forever be grateful to Mrs. Rao, Mrs. Nackman, and Marymount Manhattan College. My internship was everything and then some.

I say this to a lot of folks who visit New York for the first time – I tell them that they will either hate it or love it. There is no in-between. And that New York has a way of getting rid of people who don’t belong. I think in a lot of ways, New York just knows. It's her secret power. Hustling and New York are synonyms. If you don’t hustle, you can't make it, but if you make it in New York, you can make it anywhere else in the world. In true hustler fashion, I worked three jobs. I had two stipends and one internship. I took a full college course-load and was involved in various activities and clubs. I really did it all. I had a social life too. I was able to pay all my bills without asking my parents for any help. I was proud of myself and very burnt out. There were times I would fall asleep on the couch in the student leadership room. This experience taught me a lot. It taught me to slow down, showed me why being financially stable and secure is important, and that I can push myself. It showed me that I need to say no and not stretch myself too thin or too wide.

My senior year of college flew by so fast; it felt like a dream. I graduated from the honors program with a Bachelor of Science, all while triple majoring and minoring. If you think I am showing off, know that I indeed am. I worked very hard for all of that. If someone ever says you're doing too much, look them in the eyes and continue. Don’t dim your light because you deserve to be bright and shiny. You worked hard for it. I was the girl in college who was President of the Student Government, won a leadership award, received one of five medals, and got a few academic awards. On top of all that, I had a good number of internships. I honestly thought that I had squeezed every last penny my parents put into my education. Alas, six months after graduation, I still had not found a job. I felt like every achievement so far was a waste. I sent over my meticulously crafted résumés and cover letters tailored to each opportunity. With each application submitted, there was anxiety. However, the silence that followed was deafening – it was a reminder of the uphill battle I was going through to find a job. You know what's worse than a battle? Rejection emails. With each rejection email, I felt a blow to my confidence. It was in these moments, alone in the quiet of my shared apartment, that tears would flow freely, borne of frustration, self-doubt, and the weight of expectations both personal and familial. I was an international student, and hiring international students for companies was hard. I had given up.

Things took a turn for the worse. I couldn’t get out of bed anymore, and all the fight I had left in me had disappeared. But I believed and worked up the little courage I had and kept applying. I finally caught a break and interned at a fintech company and got a full-time job in Pharma Ad. 2020 was starting to look up. I had a 9-to-5 and worked 5-to-12 at my fintech internship. I was finally in a good place.

Ms. Corona really did a number on all of us. The job that I had just started went completely remote the day after I started. A company I had applied to was willing to offer me my H-1B visa, but after Ms. Rona hit, they rescinded the offer. The world literally shut down, and the future looked gloomy again. It was one thing after another. But in classic international student fashion, I looked into next steps. I decided that I would uproot my entire life again at 22 and move to West Lafayette, Indiana to attend Purdue University and get my master’s degree. This was the only way to keep my dream alive. So, I moved. I got a loan for my master's, saved a lot of money from my jobs, and spent 18 months in the middle of nowhere. Moving to Indiana was the best decision I made, and I would do it all over again. I met a group of friends that are now part of my family. They gave me the hope and spark I had lost. Shout out to all my Purdue peeps. Without them, I would not be here today.

A lot of people say that it’s the people that make the place, and I agree completely. I would not be here if it weren't for my people and their support. It took a village of people from all around the globe for me to achieve what I have, and I will be forever indebted to them for that. Like every international student, I have several families, not related to me by blood but by bond. If there is anything you take away from my experience, I want you to know that the bonds and connections we make with people are the reason we can make our dreams a reality. We were never born resilient; our situations and experiences built our resilience.

After all my battles and struggles, I finally found a job where I did not have to worry about money or next steps. I could finally take a breather. In 2021, I did just that. I could finally not drive myself crazy trying to figure out what was next for me. It felt unreal. I had never felt this way before. This was the first time in years that I felt like everything worked out. I broke into tech as a project manager. I loved the people I worked with, and I was getting paid. I had everything I had ever worked hard for. It felt like a dream.

I spent the next two years feeling at ease. However, I got too comfortable, and when you get comfortable, you stop growing. While I was enjoying this feeling of stability, I realized that I wanted to experience more of that feeling. As an international student, there isn't a lot of stability, and you constantly live in a fight-or-flight mode. This is the life I chose, and now that I know what stability feels like, I don’t want to go back. After trying for about a decade to get sponsored, I wasn't able to; it just wasn’t in the cards for me now. It has been very hard to make peace with that. I still don’t think I will because I know deep down New York was always it for me. I knew it when I was 13, and I still know it now.

My final nugget of wisdom is this: I know things are hard, and I know that you can't always be positive, but remind yourself that you can't control everything. Some things are simply not in your hands. However, I want you to believe that everything falls into place. And if it hasn’t, then it's not the end. I say because after 10 years of trying very my best, I have to make the toughest decision of my life – moving out of New York. But this time around, I am not ashamed. I am proud, and deep down I know I'll be back to my city. It's not the end, just a tiny detour!

Write to Read & Read to Write

You can have the best ideas in the world but they won’t matter if you don’t possess the ability to communicate effectively.

One of the best ways to become a better communicator is by writing and reading more.

When was the last time you wrote something that wasn’t for school or a text message? In a world strife with instant messaging, it becomes doubly important to learn to sit with our thoughts and attempt to express ourselves more thoroughly than usual. Writing is an inherently self-exploratory process that everyone should engage in.

On the other hand, reading broadens your understanding of the world because you are essentially tapping into the minds of intelligent individuals. By reading works from different writers, you are subconsciously grasping their writing style and learning to incorporate elements you like into your OWN writing style.

This week, I encourage you to do two things:

• Read something new for 30 minutes. Be it a book that’s collecting dust on your bookshelf or binge-reading a series of Wikipedia pages, read anything that is NOT short-form content. It will be hard to push past the initial friction and discomfort of not scrolling on Instagram, but I believe you hold the willpower to do anything you set your mind to.

• Write for 15 minutes. I want you to open a blank page or document, eliminate distractions, and simply write. It does not have to be anything noteworthy or even make sense. Simply start to pen down whatever it is you are thinking and feeling in that moment. Write to express, not to impress.

I hope to see many of you give this simple challenge a shot :)

Personally, I am currently reading Morning Star by Pierce Brown and listening to Deep Work by Cal Newport. I also aim to write in my journal everyday and it’s been so therapeutic to pen my raw thoughts on paper.

Growth Tracker:

Hi, I’m Krish - founder and CEO of roam 🌏️ 

I will be writing this section which is dedicated to those of you who are interested in tracking our progress. Every week we will share exciting news and updated stats, so stay tuned!

Let’s bring you up to speed with what happened in the last two weeks⚡️

• onboarded our brilliant Chief Growth Officer → Ansh Mundra 😍

• we gained 750+ followers and reached over 13,000 accounts on IG 🙌🏽

• started our WA community which now has 370+ int’l students 🚀

• secured our first business partnership to help students save money 👀

• began an 8-week webinar series to help students prepare for uni 💙🧡

• built big updates for Sonia: our AI-powered F-1 visa interview coach ✨

This is just the beginning… we have so much more in store! We are extremely excited and grateful that you decided to join us on this journey to support the millions of international students who risk it all and leave their homes in search of a better life abroad 🙏🏽

PSA - We want YOUR international student journey and story to be featured on our newsletter. Please email us at [email protected] with some of your background and we will be in touch :)

That’s all for this week’s newsletter, see you soon!