Before the Global UGRAD Program, Rani Andleeb Hussain describes herself as someone who was afraid to step out of her comfort zone literally. Now pursuing an MPhil in Microbiology at Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad, Andleeb aspires to become an educator who creates inclusive and supportive learning spaces. “I still remember the girl I used to be,” she shares. “I waited outside my college gate every day for my father to pick me up. I had never even taken a rickshaw on my own. The thought of traveling alone or making big decisions felt almost impossible.” But that changed in Spring 2022 when Andleeb became a Global UGRAD exchange student, spending a semester at the University of Kansas in the United States. What began as an academic opportunity soon became a life-altering journey. “UGRAD wasn’t just a scholarship,” she says. “It was a turning point in my life.”
Andleeb recalls a moment at the Texas airport when, exhausted from travel, she mistakenly picked up someone else’s luggage. “When I realized what I had done, I panicked. I didn’t know what to do in such a huge, unfamiliar place,” Andleeb admits. “But I figured it out. That moment taught me that even when things go wrong, I can handle them.”
Arriving in Kansas, City in Missouri, U.S. at 2 a.m. without a SIM card and with limited Wi-Fi, Andleeb found herself alone in a dark, nearly empty airport terminal. “For a moment, I felt completely isolated,” she recalls. “But the support from my host advisors and program administrators was incredible. They stayed in constant contact via email and had arranged everything perfectly. When I found the car waiting to take me to my new home, I was overwhelmed with gratitude.”
During her time in the U.S., she was struck by the openness of the academic environment. “Students were encouraged to ask questions and express their opinions,” she says. “The education system and resources made it possible for everyone to thrive. It was inspiring.”
One of the most profound impacts of the UGRAD program came after she returned home. A long-time dream of hers to establish a small library in her village school was finally realized through the program’s Community Development Initiative (CDI). “In 2023, I set up the library I had dreamed of since childhood,” Andleeb says with pride. “Seeing children gather, read, and explore books in a space made just for them was one of the most fulfilling moments of my life.”
“I want my future students to feel seen and valued, just like I did during my UGRAD experience,” she reflects. “UGRAD didn’t just allow me to travel the world—it helped me become the person I always hoped I could be.” For Andleeb, the transformation is clear. What once seemed impossible, independence, leadership, community impact, is now her reality. “And for that,” she says simply, “I’ll always be grateful”, says Andleeb.
