How one UM-Flint alum found real purpose in Nepal

Jina Bhagat's journey may seem somewhat unconventional - from an English degree to teaching children in Nepal to returning to school to study nursing - but the through line is her curiosity, openness and desire to deeply connect with her community.

"English is the first thing I ever loved," said the University of Michigan-Flint alum, who graduated in 2022 with a bachelor's degree in English and a Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages certificate. "Books, literature - it felt like my career path was aligned in that direction. It led to fun and interesting experiences, and also taught me to be open to change."

Born in India and raised in the Flint area since age 10, Bhagat arrived at UM-Flint uncertain of what lay ahead. "When I started at the university, I was going through a rough patch - things were not going well," she said. "But the English program grounded me and guided me through it, and I eventually worked as a tutor in the Marian E. Wright Writing Center and served as the editor-in-chief of the literary journal 'Qua' during my final semester. I also found a mentor in Professor Kietzman."

Mary Jo Kietzman, professor of English, became a guiding presence throughout those years, helping Bhagat navigate challenges and eventually apply to the Fulbright Program. Kietzman has watched her grow ever since.

"Jina has felt her way forward from being a literature student, doing TESOL, moving on to a Fulbright in Nepal, and just wanting to see more of the world and its people," said Kietzman. "Moving into nursing fits a young woman who is such a good reader, not only of books but of the world and people, and has such a capacity for caring."

Bhagat's desire to broaden her experience first led her to the TESOL certificate program. When Emily Feuerherm, associate professor of linguistics, shared information on the program in one of Bhagat's classes, she knew it would be her next step.

"I wanted to have another skill set - something that would open doors," she said. "Before I started the program, I didn't think I was someone who could teach. Gaining that certification enabled me to work as an English facilitator in local schools, and laid the groundwork for me to pursue the Fulbright."

After a months-long application process, she was named a Fulbright Scholar and spent 10 months in Nepal teaching English-an experience she describes as life-changing. "It has been one of the most enriching experiences of my life," she said. "It is something that will stay with me, and is shaping who I am becoming."

Back in Flint, Feuerherm appreciates Bhagat's continued investment in the TESOL program. "It was wonderful to see Jina take the skills and training she gained and apply them toward her experiences in Nepal," she said. "She continues to support the program through her work at the writing center, where she offers her knowledge and guidance to current students."

Bhagat's time in Nepal helped her gain greater clarity about what her career would look like in the long term. "Working with kids expanded my sense of hope, and it also showed me the next step in my journey - nursing. I came back from Nepal thinking about what I wanted my career to look like, and I've always had a sense that health care would be part of that somehow."

Currently working as a patient care technician while completing her prerequisites in UM-Flint's Accelerated Second Degree Bachelor of Science in Nursing program, Bhagat believes her humanities background will make her a more compassionate and effective nurse. "I feel like it will give me a more human approach," she said. "The classes I'm taking now are very dense, exploring concepts related to the body that I feel like I connect to in a different way than perhaps a student with a STEM-only background might have. I take a comprehensive view of working with people, and I think my degree in English, my experiences teaching here and in Nepal, and my ability to communicate well across groups give me a broader perspective. Connecting with people is what matters to me most, and I think my approach will help me do that in my future career."

For students still finding their way, Bhagat's advice is rooted in her own experience.

"Stay open," she said. "A lot of the things that come along while you're here are going to be things you didn't plan - and those are the places you grow the most."