Humphrey Fellowship has been fruitful for me both professionally and academically as I have experienced international exposure. Professionally, I have broadened my networking with different organizations and individuals in the U.S. by taking part in workshops, conferences, trainings and meetings. Among them, Global Leadership Forum (GLF), Esri Federal GIS Conference 2023 in Washington D.C. and climate change workshop “Bending the Curve-Climate Change Solution” by the University of California, San Diego were special events to build global networking and enhance my skills and knowledge on climate change risks and solutions using innovative tools and technologies.

During GLF, the interaction between representatives of different organizations such as World Bank, USAID and the U.S. Department of State made for special opportunities to enhance my professional networking and future collaborations. Apart from it, all Humphrey fellows from different countries, including fellow alumni gathered and shared their own experiences and stories to seek global solutions to transform the world through learning, collaboration and networking.

Esri Federal GIS Conference and a workshop at the Esri office in Washington provided special opportunities to connect with GIS (geographic information system) experts and to understand how the federal government is leveraging GIS tools and techniques to solve current global problems and spark innovative solutions.

Academically, I attended classes relevant to my subject at UC Davis. The most important courses were a Project Development course on International Agricultural Development (IAD), and Community and Regional Development (CRD)-Environmental Justice. As a development worker, project development is the most necessary skill to be competent in the workplace. Similarly, the course on environmental justice connected me not only to climate injustices but also many kinds of environmental injustices, along with theories and case studies from all over the world. It expanded my understanding of the historical emergence of the environmental justice movement and the present context and challenges of it.

I had a great time practicing climate simulation with the students participating in First-Year Aggie Connections. It was one of the fun aspects of learning. I wanted to replicate it to educate school/college students on climate change impacts and greenhouse emissions in Nepal.

Leadership training with five models has become helpful in identifying gaps and has taught me how to model the ways of a leader in unfavorable circumstances. It was one of my favorite sessions of the Humphrey Fellowship.

In addition to my professional and academic attainment, I personally enjoyed the whole year of programming and new experiences in learning about U.S. culture, society and places. My family and I visited the beach for the first time. It was such a fun, exciting and memorable day for us. We are thankful to the UC Davis team, the Humphrey Program and the host family who was always around us and made us aware of and familiar with U.S. culture and people. In turn, we exchanged and learned about each other’s cultures. I really liked the culture of respect for other’s cultures and the helpfulness. I am thankful to them for showering us with kindness and making our Humphrey Journey so memorable.

Overall, Humphrey Fellowship was a special journey that will help me as I move forward to serve my community and nation. I am thankful to the U.S. Department of State, IIE, Fulbright/Humphrey Fellowship Program, UC Davis and USEF Nepal for providing me with such a great opportunity.