CONWAY, Ark. (October 12, 2012) - When asked how he got from his native Nepal to Hendrix, Desh Deepak'12 will laugh before explaining how he clicked the wrong button on the online common application. But Hendrix was indeed the right place for him.
A physics major, he deferred his plans for graduate school this summer and accepted a Student Affairs staff position as Odyssey Post-Graduate Fellow in the Office of Multicultural and International Student Services (MISS).
Desh is no stranger to Student Affairs.
During his senior year, Desh served as student body president and worked with fellow international students as a member of the International Club and Multicultural Development Committee.
So far, the transition from student to staff member has been "busy but smooth."
"It's a little bit different than being a student. Being in student affairs, it's helpful to be connected to students, but you have to find a balance," said Deepak, who continues to do ring laser research with Dr. Dunn and play soccer. "Kesha [Baoua] and Jim [Wiltgen] have been extremely helpful. Kesha is amazing, ask any international student."
He sees his role as being "a helping hand" in the MISS office. One of his goals is to make My Line, an anonymous peer support call-in service, more visible to students. He will also work with students to plan MLK Day events, as well as International Student Orientation programs. As Odyssey Fellow, Desh works with student organizations such as international club, including Amnesty International, Students for Black Culture (SBC), and Students for Latin and Iberian Culture (SLIC).
This year, there are 20 new international students and 15 exchange students. Desh's dream is "to continue to build the diversity of our student population.'
Founded in 1876, Hendrix College is a national leader in engaged liberal arts and sciences education. For the fifth consecutive year, Hendrix was named one of the country's "Up and Coming" liberal arts colleges by U.S. News and World Report. Hendrix is featured in the 2012 edition of the Princeton Review as one of the country's best 377 colleges, the latest edition of Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Feel about Colleges, Forbes magazine's annual list of America's Top 650 Colleges, and the 2013 edition of the Fiske Guide to Colleges. Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. For more information, visit www.hendrix.edu.