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Caliph Daniel

 

Caliph Daniel is a 17 year old sophomore at Purdue University. He is currently studying Computer and Information Technology. He has traveled a long way from his home country of Trinidad and Tobago. He has yet to go back home since he came here a year ago. We sat down with Caliph to find out how he felt about being an international student.

 

  • Home Country:

    Trinidad and Tobago

  • Native Language:

    ​English

  • Other Languages spoken:

    None

  • Major:

    Computer and Information Technology

  • Living Arrangements:

    I live in a fraternity house

  • Is this your first time in America?

    Yes. Coming to college was my first time in America.

  • What made you choose to come to school in America?

    I came for the engineering, but I ended up switching to computer and information technology.

  • What was your home life like compared to what you've seen to life in America?

    It is much better here. It is much safer here.

  • What was the hardest part of leaving home?

    I really miss the food.

  • What has been the biggest shock to you in this transition to college in America?

    The snow. It gets so cold. My first snow experience was last winter and it was a horrible winter.

  • How do you think the experience of going to college is affected by attending university in a new country?

    It brings a whole new perspective. You are in a new country and it's a whole new culture.

  • Give us your definition of empathy.

    Understanding others

  • What is your view of empathy at Purdue.

    It's empathetic to some extent. Its empathetic to some studnts, but not the whole population of international students.

  • What programs have helped you transition into college?

    BGR really helped me meet new people.

  • What do you wish Americans understood about your perception of things?

    The way of life in America is more abundant than back home. There is food and security. Safety is always on your mind.

  • When you were making your decision to come to America, where did you see yourself after graduation?

    Back home living life. I am going to work and hopefully start a company there and try and improve the technology there.

  • How often will you get to go back home?

    I haven't been back home since I came here my freshman year. During the breaks I work for Purdue.

  • Has meeting people with a similar culture and background helped with the transition? Has been it helped with being away from home?

    Yes, I have other Caribbean friends with similar backgrounds that have helped me transition to America and Purdue. They will talk to me and share their experiences and relate it to back home.

  • Is it easier to make friends with people of you own culture than it is to make friends with Americans?

    It is easier to make friends with people of your own culture because we have a lot in common.

  • Do you think you will stay in America after gradation?

    No. I want to go back home.

  • What was your view of America before you came? Americans?

    America was the best place in the world. What I thought about Americans was that they really didn't know what was going on in the rest of the world. They really don't understand.

  • How did your view change since getting here?

    My views haven't changed.

 

Caliph had some answers to our questions that surprised us. Compared to the others we interviewed, Caliph thought Purdue needs to improve its empathey towards more of the international students. He was one of the first we interviewed who gave us this feedback. We were happy to get it and it backs up the point of this project. We hope by reading these interviews, such as Caliph's, you will be more empathetic next time you incounter an international student.

International Empathy
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What do we see for the future of this Project?

We are actively working on this project. We hope that we can continue to interview students and post more about them. We hope to help students relate to one another and also to educate students from America about students from around the globe.

 

 

 

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