Shreyas & Mason: A FIUTS Friendship Connection
The FIUTS Friendship Connection Program matches a student with a local member of the Seattle-area community. While the Program does not include a homestay, a Friendship Connection host will help their student get to know Seattle and have the opportunity to meet in-person for occasional hospitality when it’s safe to do so. This program is designed for students who want to get to know Seattle and local people during their stay in the United States. Today, we are excited to share the story of Shreyas, a graduate student from India, and Mason, a local community member who serves on the FIUTS Board of Trustees.
Mason (left) and Shreyas (right) built a lifelong friendship through the FIUTS Friendship Connection Program.
1.) How did you first get involved with FIUTS?
Shreyas: I was admitted to the University of Washington to pursue my Masters and FIUTS played a huge role in my onboarding process - moving and settling in, campus tours and fostering connections with other students from around the globe through activities.
Mason: Greg Siegler, the current president of the FIUTS Board of Trustees, encouraged me to get involved with FIUTS a few years back.
2.) Tell us a bit about your experience with the Friendship Connection Program. Who was your friendship connection? What benefit did this program have for you?
Shreyas: FIUTS Friendship Connection Program has been a wonderful experience for me. I was asked to answer a bunch of questions and FIUTS matched me with a person called Mason based on similar interests. I've met a lifelong friend in Mason. He has introduced me to his friends and family here and I've gotten to know them as well. We've gone to concerts, movies and engaged in a lot of social activities in the past two years since I moved to Seattle. Knowing him has made my experience of living in the US for the better. I've met someone who I can trust and I'm very grateful to have met Mason.
Mason: I met Shreyas through the Friendship Program and feel like I have a lifelong friend from it. Although Shreyas is from India, we discovered that we had similar tastes in music, movies, video games, and even politics. Over the last two years, we've been to multiple concerts together, grabbed a bite or drink, and have joined each other's friend networks. Although I consider myself well traveled, he's taught me so much about Indian culture, music, politics, history, and cuisine. I feel like a more well-rounded person having met Shreyas.
3.) What recommendations or advice do you have for someone thinking about participating in this program?
Shreyas: I would highly recommend utilizing this program for anyone moving to the US for their education. There is a huge potential to meet someone who can be your lifelong friend and it's worth it alone for that. Knowing someone locally will really improve your experience of living in the US and I only have positive things to say about it.
Mason: Take your time to get to know them and be ready to ask lots of questions. So often we focus on our differences being from disparate parts of the world that we neglect to recognize all the similarities we have.
—
The FIUTS Friendship Connection Program is open to all current undergraduate and graduate students at the University of Washington and all FIUTS community members in the Seattle metro area. Learn more and apply today!