Kritika Chopra

Major: 
Industrial Technology
Program: 
Germany & Uganda
Studying abroad has helped me become more confident when interacting with people from different cultures.

Kritika Chopra, native to India, arrived at Iowa State University in 2015 to study industrial technology. Being an international student, Kritika sometimes found it difficult to interact with other students and make new friends, but after participating in her first study abroad experience she became more confident in talking with other students on the travel course as well as students on campus. Kritika said, “Even though I was usually the only international student, the program directors and other students made a positive impact and made me feel welcome while studying abroad.” During her time at Iowa State, Kritika has participated in a travel course to Germany and a week-long service learning program to Uganda through the CALS Study Abroad Office and looks forward to returning to Uganda this spring (2019) to participate in another service learning program. Kritika feels that studying abroad has not only benefited her in many ways, but has also given her the opportunity to share her cultural background from India with other students while abroad as they compared and contrasted different countries and learned first-hand about a variety of cultures and lifestyles.

While in Uganda, Kritika applied the knowledge and skills she learned about grain quality at Iowa State when working on post-harvest grain storage systems for residents in Kamuli District, Uganda. Kritika looks forward to returning to Uganda this spring to meet-up with old friends, make new friends and work in a new area of service learning to better the lives of the people in rural Uganda.