"In Our Own Voices" is a photo and story gallery celebrating diversity and the voices that make the UNH Manchester community a wonderful place to live, learn and grow. Their stories are our story—and we are proud to tell it. Tatiana Iuferova '20G, a graduate of the master's in information technology program, shares her story below.
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“I am grateful and proud not only to be a graduate student at UNH, but also an adjunct faculty member that helps to contribute to high-quality education.”
After one semester of my IT master’s program in Russia, I was disappointed in what I considered to be an outdated program. I came to UNH in search of a high-quality education abroad. I don’t come from a well-off family and studying abroad was something unreachable for me. Russian banks don’t sponsor international education, and it’s almost impossible to secure a loan. I spent years working hard to save for school, not knowing if it would ever be enough.
I had very little support: My friends and family believed in Russian propaganda targeted against America and tried to make me forget this “crazy” idea. For months I couldn’t schedule my student visa interview due to political conflict. I thought it could be the end of my dream and that my hard work was for nothing because of disagreements between two countries. Contrary to the propaganda, Americans have been very friendly to me. They’ve helped me overcome my challenges and made me feel welcome. Today I am grateful and proud not only to be a graduate student at UNH, but also an adjunct faculty member that helps to contribute to high-quality education.
