Name: Luv Sodha

Year: Senior

School: Fox School of Business

Majors: Finance and accounting

Home town: Richboro, Pa. (originally from Mumbai, India)

Why I chose Temple: "When I came, I took a one-on-one tour with students in the Honors Program. That made me feel at home. I remember sitting in on Dr. Ralph Young's 'Dissent in America' class. He was playing guitar. It was very informal, very personal. Also, Temple offers value. It's the best education in the U.S. at a very reasonable price. That's what makes Temple attractive."

Transformative moment: "Being an international student, I didn't have the same access to federal loans and financial aid as many of my other classmates did. Temple was generous enough that I got a lot of merit-based scholarships. That has enabled me to go to college here.

"Fox has provided me with so many opportunities to succeed and find a job. Through the Fox School's Center for Student Professional Development, I was able to attend one-day leadership events with top accounting firms. These local recruiting events led to national leadership programs: one in Washington, D.C.; one in Chicago; and one with Deloitte in Arizona. In the end, I got offers from all three. I eventually chose Deloitte.

"The professors at Temple are great. As an international student, I have a lot to learn about American culture and history. I took Dr. Young's Honors 'Dissent in America' class. It gave me the opportunity to think outside the dimensions of what we've learned at Fox. At the end of the semester, I gifted Professor Young a copy of the Bhagavad Gita, the Hindu holy book. Prof. Young is what we call a guru — a teacher — in India. We say that a great teacher is at a higher level than god himself.

"What Temple has given me is a good starting path. From then on, I think it's my story to write. Knowing that I have a job after I graduate has given me a sense of relief, but I also have a deep sense of gratitude, particularly given that this economy isn't very strong and there are many people unemployed coming out of college.

"Temple has made the American dream viable for me. This country offers opportunities. As someone from the outside, I value that greatly."