By ALISA THOMAS

Staff Writer

Namaste!

Greetings, Tech, from Rakshya Deoja, a sophomore nursing major from Nepal, a mountainous nation nestled in the Himalayan Mountains of Southeast Asia.

People from Nepal are called Nepalese, and Deoja considers her culture unique.

"I practice the Hindu culture, which is the only culture followed by the Nepalese and Indians," Deoja said.

Although Deoja is miles away from home, she takes time every two weeks to call her family.

Her family includes father Rabindra Kumer Deoja, mother Ganga Deoja and 17-year-old brother Khush Deoja.

She e-mails them daily.

A valuable lesson Deoja has learned since she has been in the United States and at Tech is, "to be independent and my own person."

Deoja began her studies in December 2002 at Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo.

Her reason for choosing Truman as her first American college was because she had cousins who were already attending it.

"I applied because I did not know about any other universities," Deoja said.

At Truman, she studied in business administration, but Deoja was not comfortable there.

"I was kind of homesick, and my grades weren't that good, but I came to Tech and everything improved a lot."

Deoja's cousin, a graduate student of economic development at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Miss., gave Deoja the heads-up about Tech.

"She told me that Tech was a good school with a friendly atmosphere and that the educational experience would be easier," Deoja said.

With that said, in fall 2003, Deoja transferred to Tech and changed her major to nursing.

She considers the university inexpensive and fast-paced.

"Tech is a lot cheaper than Truman, and I like the quarter system we follow here," Deoja said. "I get to complete more credit hours in less time."

Her decision to take up nursing stemmed from her growing interest in medicine and from working with children.

Bijoya Chakhroborty, a senior marketing major, is one of Deoja's best friends whom she met as a student worker in the International Student Office.

As they work, the two tend to joke with each other and are always caught smiling and laughing together.

Deoja thinks her friendliness is what sets her above the rest, although at times she considers it a weakness.

"Being friendly is my greatest attribute. If someone asks for something or for me to do something, I just can't say no," Deoja said.

The highest expectation Deoja said she has for herself is to get the best out of her college experience by meeting many people and making her future better and brighter.

"I want to learn new things and know more people," Deoja said. "I am fully aware that I am different, but just being here in the United States, I think [it's] possible."