An application for the exchange students :)

There are 6 million international students worldwide

many of whom face isolation, cultural disconnection, and financial strain in foreign environments—by revealing how systemic gaps in support and representation leave them feeling unseen, unprepared, and vulnerable in their pursuit of transformative global experiences.

By making study abroad more accessible and equatable, we can provide a diverse education for the United States.

    1. Change the entire educational landscape for international & exchange accessibility

    2. Change the entire networking system for businesses and education

  • -Access future employment opportunities—at home or abroad

    -Access institutional and program quality

    -Meet a diverse range of people

    -Study and learn differently

    -Experience self-reliance and being on their own

    -Make new friends and lifelong networking

    -See their culture from a different point of view

  • Pew Research (2017): Non-white international students report higher levels of racial discrimination compared to white peers, affecting their sense of belonging and academic success.

30%

of international students cite financial challenges as their biggest hurdle in studying abroad, with the majority of these students coming from developing countries.

70%+

of non-white students feel their cultural needs are not adequately met by universities abroad, leading to higher attrition rates.

“This could change the educational landscape on a global scale. One of the best educational resources that appease both parties in the bureaucratic school systems are by implementing diverse narratives into the students ecosystem.”

—Dr. B a NJ blue ribbon school district advisor

Step 1: Empathize & Define

Target audiences frustrations

  • Constantly surrounded by the same exchange students on small campus, wants more network.

  • Want one consolidated app for events near them

  • A bigger community and diverse set of people to meet

  • An environment that promotes diverse experience and little stigma

  • An environment that makes them feel safe

My research also showed that there were two main subsets of students. One who enjoyed the structure of a new environment, willing to take a chance to do things. And the student that was more guarded and took more time to do things. Both subjects wanted to grow their network and get out of their campus. They shared similar frustrations in how limited they were on campus.

Survey Time!

Step 2: Ideate

Some features I added based on the data …

  • Electronic protected passport and visa

  • A buddy system to go places like the embassy

  • A secure online community with verified and approved exchange & international students

  • A network to connect with exchange students and alumni

  • Honest reviews of the school, things to do, and its location

  • A status list on things to do to complete the exchange process ( “Almost there! You still need to pick up your updated Visa at the Embassy!”)

Step 3: Prototype

Test out the original prototype

80% of users said the original was mostly easy to use

Step 4: Test & Survey

20% of users said it was somewhat easy to use

80% said the application was clear and concise

100% of users said they wanted the application made and that it would help them immensely

100% they didnt have another app that had all of these features

A sneak peak of user testing on the new model…not the original model.

Will it work?

Business Plan

As lead project manager & Designer…

Developing a business plan allowed me to learn a great amount on how start ups form. I learned business logistics. I learned about APIs and the development of applications form the backend to the frontend.