Global Cleveland Turns 10 | Anusha Kandel

Nepali-born Anusha Kandel, an IT Analyst at the Sherwin Williams Company, shares her special memories and gratitude for Global Cleveland.

Why did I come to Cleveland? Cleveland was a random choice, to be honest. I came to Cleveland when I was seventeen. My previous roommate, Supriya Tamang, introduced me to Global Cleveland. Global Cleveland is a great organization. They organize great programs for students and international communities to help them with networking, leadership development, and much more. In a world where nothing is free, to be able to gain personal and professional development experience free of cost, I truly consider Global Cleveland a GEM! As internationals, when we come to a new country, it always feels a little hard to feel welcome. Like so many international students, that was the best part for me personally, to feel so welcomed by everyone at Global Cleveland. I will also say that Global Cleveland sends informative emails on a regular basis to help the international community. Even when the vaccines first came out, they were really helpful in explaining the timelines and age groups through informational emails and updates.

I had an opportunity to be a part of the Global Rising program which contributed greatly to my personal and professional growth. There were great speakers with years of expertise every month with very impactful presentations. Every session was of phenomenal value. I learned something new every month. There were so many different speakers, all of them shared special things that I still remember. One of the speakers struck me when they said, “You are your own barrier.” Meaning, the only person stopping you from taking a chance is yourself, so just do it! Global Cleveland also assigned me a mentor whose effort in connecting me with her own professional networks proved of great value to me. In addition to that, her passion for community and economic development is very strong. To see someone so focused and strong in what they do is truly inspiring.

I had an opportunity to volunteer at one of the events organized by Global Cleveland for International Students. It was special. I along with a few other people also had an opportunity to perform. There was an ice breaker – flash mob where we had a short performance of about a minute to warm up the crowd, a mini-performance. We danced to American music to make everyone feel comfortable – I love to dance! I met everyone who worked at Global Cleveland during that time. They were very welcoming. Just seeing people personally coming and welcoming the international students was very lovely for any international. They even had a panel of employers as well. I felt so welcomed by the Global Cleveland team, leaders, and employers – it was just amazing. 

Cleveland is a second home to me. I came here six years ago, and this is where I have gained my higher education, and this is where I work. I have grown in so many ways in this city for the better. So, I do feel a strong sense of belonging in this city. Although I plan to be in a different state to continue to grow, challenge and explore my own potential, I am grateful for Global Cleveland and all that I have learned through them. What words would I use to describe Global Cleveland? Educational, Welcoming, Helpful, Humble, Determined, Responsive. Hopefully, Global Cleveland will continue to be doing so much great work. I am confident that it will be huge and help impact internationals for a long time.