Graduate student from Malaysia build success at Missouri State University

Yuganesh Gunalan is a motivated international graduate student in the Master of Business Administration program at Missouri State University. He traveled from Malaysia to pursue his dreams, complete his academic studies, and get the best experience out of this journey. His ultimate dream is to become a successful Chief Executive Officer for a successful international company.

Starting with a strong foundation

Yuganesh jumping for joy in front of a plane — Yuganesh used his success at UCM as a larger platform to reach other young people in Malaysia.

Yuganesh completed his B.S. degree in aviation management from the University of Central Missouri in May 2019.

His time at UCM culminated in a huge honor – receiving the Charno Award. The Charno Award is given to outstanding students for leadership, scholarship, character, campus involvement, service, and academic excellence. Because of the award, he was invited to speak at his own graduation ceremony to all the May 2019 graduates and their families at UCM.

Yuganesh never expected news of his award to travel back home but soon his inbox was flooded with messages of congratulations. As the first international student ever to win the award, he had brought great pride to Malaysia.

Fame from the award made him a popular speaker in Malaysia. He spoke to young students there to talk about his own challenges and successes. Yuganesh shared that he was diagnosed early with Dyslexia Disorder but that only pushed him to work harder. He convinced other students that no matter what, they could do anything they put their mind to do. Yuganesh felt the best part of winning the Charno Award was being able to impact younger students in Malaysia and hearing that they would like to be like him someday, saying, “My ultimate goal in life is to be able to motivate others.”

Transitioning to a larger campus with additional responsibilities

Upon completion of his degree at UCM, he enrolled at Missouri State University to begin his MBA in Fall 2019. He also secured a Graduate Assistantship from the Office of International Programs, where he works to build international recruitment strategies and provides support to visiting students and scholars in the International Leadership and Training Center.

His work with International Programs ignited a passion for project management, prompting him to enroll in an additional graduate program in Project Management at Missouri State.

This academic freedom is attractive to Yuganesh, who says that’s the best part about the US education system. “It doesn’t push you into a specific path – it builds around you and supports you in what you want,” he explains. He sees that his Missouri State professors are supportive and want to see their students succeed.

Yuganesh juggles two degree programs and work, but sought more. At first, he wasn’t sure how to feel about Missouri State’s size after coming from a smaller university. Soon he found a sense of community and decided to take on more campus involvement. First, he joined the MBA Association to meet other students in his program. That led to joining the Graduate Student Senate, where he was elected President in his first year.

Yuganesh attends a Chinese cultural celebration at Missouri State — Yuganesh enjoys attending cultural celebrations on campus, like the Chinese National Day Celebration.

Yuganesh emphasizes the importance of meeting new people and hearing their stories, saying, “everyone has a lesson to learn from.” He found new friends in his campus involvement, during classes, and at work. As an international student, he feels welcomed. “Everyone here is a Bear. We call it Bear Nation for a reason, and we’re all Citizen Bears.”

Finding family from Malaysia in Missouri

In addition to the Citizen Bears family Yuganesh has built for himself at Missouri State, he counts himself lucky to have his actual family in Springfield.

Yuganesh’s brother and sister also decided to pursue higher education in the US and he was thrilled when they chose to study in Springfield with him. His brother studies Architecture at Drury University, while his sister and cousin enrolled at Missouri State to pursue Speech-Language Pathology.

He iss proud to have his family with him in Springfield, though it sometimes feels odd to have his siblings and cousin with him but not his parents. He recognizes the sacrifices his family made to be able to send three kids to the US to achieve their goals and he’s grateful to them. He’s also grateful that Missouri State is known for providing a quality education at an affordable cost.

Though he and his family miss home, including holidays and festivals, they’ve found a welcoming community in Springfield. They’re happy to see many international associations and events at Missouri State bringing different cultures to campus. Of this experience, he says, “The moment you submit your application for admission, you’re welcomed and taken care of at Missouri State.”

Advice to future #InternationalBears

“You did not travel halfway across the world to go to your classroom and go back to your room study. Go make good memories, cultural experiences, and experience best of a US university. People here want to know you and learn about you.” – Yuganesh Gunalan