Learning and Leading: Suki’s Trip to Mysore, India
Suki with students she mentored during a week-long Debate Camp.
This fall, PowHERful scholar Sukanya (Suki) Ferguson, recipient of the annual Natalie Rozenblat Stifel Award, has begun her junior year with fresh focus and confidence. After two years exploring the wide-ranging opportunities at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR), Suki feels she’s learning how to balance her plans and opportunities as she delves into different facets of her interests in labor relations, human resources, and global development. “There are so many directions ILR can take me, but I’m becoming more confident in choosing the experiences that truly serve my long-term goals.”
One recent experience has been transformative: Suki’s recent six-week service learning trip to Mysore, India. “I had my eye on this opportunity since I was applying to Cornell. From the moment I committed to ILR, I knew I wanted to apply and gain first-hand experience working with an NGO abroad.” Support from PowHERful Foundation’s Travel Assistance Fund was instrumental in making Suki’s trip possible. It eased her anxieties about expenses and gave her space to focus entirely on this learning opportunity. “PowHERful’s care and encouragement— connecting me with Soledad O’Brien to personally walk me through my stumbling blocks and concerns—was a big reminder that I wasn’t navigating this alone.”
In Mysore, Suki worked with the Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM), an NGO committed to health, education, and community development. Her project focused on enhancing training and development opportunities for staff—a chance to deepen her experience in Human Resources while immersing herself in a new cultural context.
The immersion, however, was not without its challenges. As she adjusted to the pace of life in Mysore and worked to overcome language barriers, Suki found herself navigating a work culture different than any she’d experienced before. These differences, Suki emphasizes, were integral to her growth. She strove to adopt local customs, including those reflected in her daily attire. On the very first day, program leaders brought the students to local shops. “We picked out kurtas and scarves to wear to work, and I chose several in a variety of vibrant patterns and colors. Wearing traditional dress wasn’t just practical and respectful; it felt to me like a small but meaningful way to participate in local customs and show appreciation for the culture I was learning from.” And Suki took no time in embracing the regional cuisine. “Many of the flavors and spices in the food felt familiar to me because they reminded me of traditional Belizean dishes from my family’s kitchen.”
“But the most resonant aspect of the trip,” Suki reflects, “was witnessing the dedication of the SVYM staff. They were genuinely invested in bridging the gaps between administrative teams and field workers, as well as between the organization and the communities it serves. That spirit of service reminded me that real, sustainable change comes from people who prioritize improving lives over personal gain. It’s a perspective I want to carry with me into every role I take on. Academically, the experience gave me a nuanced understanding of how different systems—governmental, social, and economic—interconnect to shape communities. Personally, it reinforced my commitment to pursuing work that’s both people-centered and purpose-driven.”
Now back on campus at Cornell, Suki carries with her memories of Mysore and her experience of communicating beyond cultural differences. Through her experience, she has developed a deeper commitment to building a career of purpose that bridges people, workplaces, and communities across the globe. Her time in Mysore has not only enriched her understanding of global development and human resources but has solidified her career goals. She plans to utilize her new knowledge and experience to contribute to organizations committed to improving lives and fostering sustainable change—goals perfectly aligned with those of the PowHERful Foundation and the Natalie Rozenblat Stifel Award. Together, we applaud her!