Hello, my name is Punam Subba and I am from Nepal. I am the first person in my family to have the opportunity to receive higher education in America. Because of that, I have to discover opportunities and explore resources that are available for my family and myself for a better future. Ever since I met the International Student Service Association (ISSA) organization in my junior year of high school, I was provided with advice for my future planning for college and career. ISSA let me challenge myself to become a more positive person and to be able to persevere through challenges.
One of the lessons I learned from ISSA is to be more positive. Most of the time, I was not aware of my own behavior and how negatively it was affecting people around me. After ISSA helped me understand the importance of being positive, they gave me feedback when I was expressing myself negatively. Not only give feedback they also help me think of a solution that can help me become a more positive person. Using the S.T.O.P.P method which stands for Stop, take a breath, observe, put in some perspective, and practice. After I start to use this method, I can think of the big picture, pay more attention to the details, and talk in a positive way. This skill is definitely important to learn because I am a better listener now. It also helps me have better relationships with people around me and I am more empathetic to people and their situations.
ISSA also teaches me to challenge myself. One of my biggest weaknesses was that I was not challenging myself. I would run away from problems because I feared failure and how people would judge me. From ISSA, I learned that failure is okay because I can always fix it and learn from my mistakes to not do it again. Challenging myself was difficult at the beginning, but with the comfort of the ISSA team. I learned that everyone is not perfect and with the change of mindset, I learn many important skills which unlock new opportunities, through the challenges that I am willing to face upfront.
With this amazing learning experience I received from ISSA, I want to share with my friends and family my growth and learning process. From sharing my experience with them, I hope to encourage my friends who are struggling to become better people, by being more positive and willing to face challenges. I am very grateful to the International Student Service Association (ISSA) organization for guiding me to become a better person. They gave me good advice to improve my behavior. I learn to be more positive, and not to run away from problems anymore so I receive many new opportunities that allow me to continue growing and learning.
Written by Punam Subba (Nationality: Nepalis)
