Page 13 - Access Magazine 2023

“THERE ARE BETTER OPPORTUNITIES HERE" ~SAI
back home, I wouldn’t have had those opportunities.” Indian society, in general, doesn’t make accommodations for people with disabilities, he adds: “Almost everywhere in the U.S., there are ramps and specific spots for handicapped parking. Ameri- cans spend money on it. Back home, they just assume everyone walks fine.”
Sai gets around Fresno State on an electric bicycle, and he hopes to soon buy a sports utility vehicle. “I want to explore more, and the only thing that’s stopping me is not having a car.” That ad- venturous spirit – an openness to the world around him – has led to good relationships at Fresno State. His dorm roommate is another student from South Asia who came to the United States as a child. “We make fun of each oth-
er, and we show each other memes. We get along well.” Another new friend threw a graduation party, and Sai made a late night of it but woke up in time to call his mother. They talk twice a day. “She cried when I left for Fresno, and she made me cry, too – and I don’t usually cry. But she dedicated her whole life to me.” Sai never forgets that truth as a new life unfolds for him at Fresno State.
ACCESS - The Division of Continuing and Global Education 13
“While conquering all the challenges navigating a different country and systems, Sai excelled among his peers to be one of our international student leaders who provide help and care to students in need.”
Sai’s next campus job was in the Academic Technology Re- source Center, which provides tech support to the faculty. Both jobs proved invaluable, he says. “I learned better communication skills and customer service. And I can say for sure that if I was