I first met Menusha Arumugam when I joined UM-Flint’s Student Government Council. As newly elected Student Government president, Menusha sat down with me to discuss campus culture, student leadership, and her experience as an international student in Flint, MI.

Jacinda Kitts: Tell me about yourself— where you are from; what you're studying; what your career goals are.

Menusha Aramugam: Well, my name is Menusha Arumugam and I’m a senior in the Honors Program majoring in Biology. I was born and raised in Malaysia before I started school here in Flint in Spring 2014. I am the middle child of my family and I have a younger and older sister. My career goal is to be a researcher or professor, and to work at a research university. So, after I graduate from UM-Flint, I’m hoping to either get a job with a research lab or go to grad school but the end goals is to eventually get my Ph.D.

JK: After high school in Malaysia, what made you decide to further your education abroad? And how did you end up studying in Flint, MI, out of all other places with larger universities? And what have you learned to appreciate about this place compared to a large university?

MA: It’s very rare in Malaysia to not pursue higher education, and I knew studying in the U.S. would be good experience and offer lots of opportunities. The prestige of the Michigan name pulled me, and I also had a scholarship. So I was definitely drawn in by the Michigan name, and I was applying for enrollment during the spring semester. UM-Flint has rolling admissions, and that fit with my timeline better.

I have really learned to appreciate the people here. Students get a lot of attention from professors — they all know your name. When I talk to my friends who attend large universities, they can’t believe that I attend professors’ office hours and get to know them! If I was at a bigger campus, I perhaps would not have been able to get a job on campus in the International Center, or to be involved in Student Government. And the campus culture here is very welcoming to different students. After being here for only two plus years, I have a group of friends from all over the world that I can call my family. Who knew I would become friends with an Egyptian student? The representation of students here is very inclusive in that way.

JK: Can you talk about how the Water Crisis has affected your experience in Michigan, and has influenced any of your world views or perspectives?

MA: The fact that something like this has happened is understandable — not enough knowledge and science was programmed when they first built the pipes. The fact that they allowed it to continue, and not take more, faster steps is shocking. Everyone has an image of America. You come here for opportunity, and hear all about modernization and globalization and all that fancy stuff, but being here I have realized that there are more political and social issues within the community. I mean, we get it, not everywhere is New York City, just like in Malaysia, not everywhere is like the capital, but there are a lot of social issues taking place in America. You don’t really hear about those sensitive issues through large media outlets. It was very interesting to feel the impact of this water crisis first hand. Who lets this happen? It is very sad that this has happened to Flint, and there is definitely a much larger implication. It is great to see the community coming together proactively to move forward and solve the water problem, but I find it hard to wrap my head around the fact that the leaders couldn't, or weren't able to make decisions for the improvement of the community sooner.

"You come here for opportunity, and hear all about modernization and globalization and all that fancy stuff, but being here I have realized that there are more political and social issues within the community."

JK: As UM-Flint’s Student Government President, what are some things you will be focusing on accomplishing during your term? What will be at the forefront of your administration’s focus?

MA: We have a few platforms that we ran on during elections, and some were continued from the previous year and some are new. We want to focus on Diversity and Inclusion, Sexual Assault Awareness, Mental Health Awareness — and we are moving towards a more holistic student health awareness, not just mental health; Academic Success, and the fifth one is Student Life. There are a lot of different things we are trying to engage with these platforms. We are trying to move away from the idea that Student Government is a programming body because I think we have been that for a while and we have achieved a lot from this. However, this year we are looking at empowering student groups on campus to collaborate with us and raise awareness on important issues on campus. For initiatives like Sexual Assault Awareness, we are collaborating with the Women's Educational Center and ItsOnUs Peer Education to promote Consent Weeks and Sexual Assault Awareness Weeks. We advocate for this issue by making Bystander Intervention Training a mandatory requirement for student groups to apply for funding from Student Government. Looking at our Student Government plans and budget this year, we are hoping to empower student groups on campus and create a better campus experience for everyone. Our job is to advocate for and empower our student body, so, that is the vision that I am hoping we can move towards. We are making sure that we are attending all the standing committees on campus that require student representatives. This administration wants to show students that each student can make a change on campus— we are here to listen and help.

"Our job is to advocate for and empower our student body... This administration wants to show students that each student can make a change on campus — we are here to listen and help."

JK: Is there an important message that you would like to share to international students, or student leaders? What is a message that has been significant to you in your success?

MA: When I first got to campus, I looked up to a lot of people. I found myself thinking, “Wow, I could never be as good as them,” but I realized that they used to be me. Reaching out, not being afraid to learn, and asking for help can take you very far. Asking for help is as important as giving help. A lot of where I am today is because of asking people. I wouldn’t have joined Student Government if other people didn’t motivate me. I have been lucky to be empowered by women around me. As long as you are willing to ask, there will always be people willing to help you.

"Reaching out, not being afraid to learn, and asking for help can take your very far. Asking for help is as important as giving help... As long as you are willing to ask, there will always be people willing to help you."

I believe that things transpired should not define Flint, but the people who continue to move Flint forward should. Empowering students on UM-Flint’s campus is more important than ever. Menusha believes that students will see that positive changes can be made in Flint, starting on campus. With more student engagement and empowerment, I believe she is right.

To contact UM-Flint’s Student Government: Click Here

To read about UM-Flint’s recent activity in The Michigan Times: Click Here

This interview has been condensed and edited.