Helping students from different parts of the globe overcome cultural differences and come together as a big diverse family is one of the main purposes of Avinash Kuna’s job. The 28-year-old president for the NMSU International Club came from India last fall to get his Master’s degree in computer science and has become an active Aggie ever since.
When asked about his thoughts on the university’s community, Kuna is happy to say that he made the right decision in coming to NMSU. He highlights some of the university’s attributes such as low cost-of-living, a variety of opportunities of on-campus jobs that help international students pay for their studies and a very friendly and welcoming environment. “Las Cruces has given me a lot of things,” said Kuna. I came here and I didn’t know anyone and now I have really good friends”.
Even before getting here, he already knew about the International Club through online research, and his interest in joining was immediate. He found the club to be a great opportunity to do some of the things he most enjoys in life. “As a traveller, I really like to learn new cultures, interact with different people and spend some quality time with them,” Kuna said. And he wasn’t wrong; being a part of the club allowed him to get to know many people and exchange cultures, knowledge and experiences with them.
Kuna became the president of the International Club of NMSU on May of this year. By that time, he was such an effective participant within the club that during the election process, no one contested to him being chosen as the representative. As president, his main activities include representing the international students’ interests within the university and helping them solve some of their issues.
Apart from the bureaucratic side of his job, what he enjoys most is the ability to be in constant contact with different people. “I am bad on the kind of job which you just have to sit in offices and do your work,” Kuna said. “I’m good with working with people. Every year, I get to meet new people and share new experiences”.
In order to promote socialization between international students, he is also responsible for organizing different events throughout the year, including pool parties, hiking trips, poster making parties and a trip to the Balloon Fiesta in Albuquerque. Two big upcoming events are next on the agenda: a Halloween party and, of course, an international party.
Photo by Andressa Moreira
“I plan to invite all the Las Cruces community, promote dances, some different skills from different cultures. I have been really looking forward to it. I don’t know when we are going to do that yet but that is the main event I am planning for this year’s schedule,” said Kuna regarding the international party.
As far as future plans, Kuna only has two things in mind. “After finishing my master’s degree I want to be an entrepreneur and start my own company,” he said. “And the second thing is I want to earn good money that will allow me to leave everything and start travelling.”
He believes that his experience as a president of International Club will contribute a lot to his future career. “The world is growing with the globalization. Everything is getting globalized. Having the experience to interact with people that come from different parts of the world and knowing how to work with them and collaborate with them is a big plus for your future career.”
According to him, the experience of living abroad and working with people from all over the world is mind-opening and helps one think outside the box. “Coming from India, according to my culture I’m allowed to follow certain beliefs, but living abroad and interacting with the international people, I can think big. Every country has certain ideas, and I’m not saying that one is less valuable than another, but the ideas should be broad, should be out of the box. That’s how you get a chance to think big and do big in your career,” Kuna concluded.