Gunraj Singh

Gunraj was our undergraduate student recipient of the Louie Barozzi Scholarship this year that recognized SJSU international students for their contributions to the community and commitment to international education.

Major: BS in Software Engineering

Home Country: India

What would you say is your greatest accomplishment during your time at SJSU?

I am honored to be serving as a Student Ambassador and as a Peer Educator for San Jose State University. I am a Proud Spartan! And it gives me immense joy and pride to give back to this inspiring campus community. 

What student or community organizations, internships, etc. are you involved with? How has your involvement impacted your SJSU experience?

Some of my current involvements include: 

Peer Educator – Peer Connections 

Student Ambassador – Student Outreach & Recruitment 

President – Global Student Network 

Academic Committee Chair – Sikh Student Association 

Lead Dancer – Spartan Bhangra 

Treasurer – Society of Global Engineers 

Intern – Tynor Orthotics Pvt. Ltd 

The amount of resilience and passion that this campus community has instilled in me is beyond compare. 

Putting myself out and getting involved on campus is probably one of the best decisions I have made so far. 

What is your advice/message to fellow international students?

Work Hard, Reach Out and Get Involved! 

Keenan Guillas

Keenan was our graduate student recipient of the Louie Barozzi Scholarship this year that recognized SJSU international students for their contributions to the community and commitment to international education.

Major: MS in Marine Science

Home Country: Canada

What would you say is your greatest accomplishment during your time at SJSU?

This fall I have been accepted to participate in a one-week training course in my field in Blanes, Spain, and the following week I will be presenting preliminary data from my thesis research at the largest international conference in my field in Leiden, The Netherlands. Being able to network with the international research community and receive training and feedback about my research from prominent researchers in the field will be hugely important for the continued development both of my research at SJSU, as well as of my professional skillset and network for after graduate school.

What student or community organizations, internships, etc. are you involved with? How has your involvement impacted your SJSU experience?

I serve as Student Body Vice President of Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (MLML), SJSU’s marine science campus located on Monterey Bay, where I complete all course and thesis requirements for my SJSU degree. I am also an editor on MLML’s student-run blog, and I mentor undergraduate students from CSUMB through their Undergraduate Research Opportunities Center. These experiences have helped me become a tight part of the MLML community and work for the change students need; have helped me develop skills in science communication and outreach; and have lent me agency to strengthen the relationship between research programs and students at SJSU and CSUMB.

What is your advice/message to fellow international students?

As international students, the logistics and finances of our situation at school is, from the start, more tricky to balance than it is for domestic students. This creates a higher hurdle we must clear in order to achieve success, and at the beginning of my time at SJSU, this was discouraging. However, perhaps because of this very disparity, I realized early on that building an extensive personal and professional support network at MLML/SJSU would be crucial to my success in my program, and I have thus become even more involved in my community than I think I would have as a domestic student. In community-building and in academic and professional work, I think my status as an international student has pushed me to achieve more and reach for higher goals than I otherwise would have. I have at times had a larger workload than other students might, but I have also met with much higher rewards and a stronger feeling of success than I perhaps would have at an institution in my own country. My advice to fellow international students is that the way to success as an international student is to recognize and accept our increased challenges, and to treat them not as burdens or hindrances but as motivators to soar even higher and achieve greatness.

Vernon Win

Vernon is one of the other IT student assistants and you may see him running around the CPGE building helping everyone so make sure to say hi! (featuring his cute cats) 

Major: BA Mechanical Engineering

Hometown: Yangon, Myanmar

What is your dream job?

My dream job has always been to research or do meaningful work in the automotive industry; mainly focused on electric vehicles.

What types of activities are you involved in at SJSU or in the community?

I have recently joined two different engineering honor societies, Tau Beta Pi and Pi Tau Sigma. I often attend several activities hosted by them. I have also participated in intramural competitions such as basketball at the SRAC.

What is something that you want others to know about your hometown, home country or culture?

Myanmar is in a state of turmoil and I hope the community can shed some light and exposure to what is happening there right now.

What do you enjoy most about SJSU?

At SJSU, I have enjoyed the community and diversity of people that have welcomed me and made it feel like home. I did not expect to make a lot of friends.

Where is your favorite spot on our campus and why?

My favorite spot on the campus would be the SRAC since it has two facilities I enjoy utilizing; a pool and basketball courts.

What do you wish you would have known sooner about life in the U.S. or being at SJSU?

I wish I was aware about the alarming rate of crime in downtown San Jose.

What message do you have for our Global Spartan community?

It is an honor to be part of the Global Spartan community and being among a community of hardworking students motivate me to excel in my educational journey.

Aayush Sharma

Aayush is one of our IT student assistants and you may see him running around the CPGE building helping everyone so make sure to say hi!

Major: MS Engineering Management

Hometown: Jabalpur, India

What is your dream job?

Technical Program Manager

What types of activities are you involved in at SJSU or in the community?

Student Assistant IT Services CPGE

What is something that you want others to know about your hometown, home country or culture?

Jabalpur is famous for its Marble Rocks and scenic charms. It serves usefully as a launchpad for Madhya Pradesh’s famous tiger parks: Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Pench. Snooker had been invented by Britishers in Jabalpur in 1875.

What do you enjoy most about SJSU?

SJSU is always adapting and it has the proximity to many of the companies located in Silicon Valley.

Where is your favorite spot on our campus and why?

The top most floor of the SJSU King library is my favorite place as I can sit and do my work enjoying the view of the city.

What do you wish you would have known sooner about life in the U.S. or being at SJSU?

Having a car is really important 🙂 Jokes apart –

I wish I had known how hard the workload is for an engineering student. I wish I had known a bit more about resumes, industry-related preparations, interview tips, internships, and major advising.

What message do you have for our Global Spartan community?

You are doing the best. We enjoy all the events organized by you. Keep going with the same spirit. Go Spartans