Born and raised in a rural village in India, Rowan College at Burlington County student Bhagyasree Barman had few life paths to choose from. Would she become a school teacher, where her salary topped off at $40 a month, or settle down with a husband and grow a family? To care for her parents and disabled little sister, the paycheck of a teacher wasn’t going to cut it. And she felt limited as a housewife.
“So many of my high school classmates didn’t even get to finish high school,” Barman said. “A bunch of my friends have two to three kids now, and I just couldn’t see myself doing that… I want to do things that are beyond what girls are expected to do.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Barman recounts a distant relative from the city traveling to her village, offering care as a nurse. She got to watch her work in close proximity, watch her save lives. It was like a new path was paved in Barman’s life, stretching out from her tiny Indian village.
“She was so smart, she knew exactly what to do; she was the only person handling all of this, yet she was still so kind and compassionate. And I was like, I want to make a difference in people’s lives like that. I want to improve it. If I go somewhere rural, I want to be a force of good… that inspired me to become a nurse.”
Barman came to the United States for better opportunities, helped by a green card sponsorship from her father, who lives here. RCBC was near her new home, and with its 3+1 nursing program, she knew she could enroll here and forgo expensive costs.
At first, campus life was “a gigantic culture shock” for Barman. Enrolling in the peer mentorship program helped her open up after struggling in her first year. She experienced newfound friendships and found herself, against what she expected, socializing and going out to eat with them. Besides communication skills, Barman acquired time management and organizing skills during her time as a peer mentor.
Fluent in four languages—Bengali, Hindu, Urdu, and English—Barman began translating for international students as well. She’s helped a fellow student interested in entering nursing who speaks Bengali understand the nuances of English terms in health care.
“I didn’t think I would [translate], but the smile on their face when they recognize their home language is just amazing,” Barman said.
She has also assisted with the International Club’s cultural ball as vice president and is an Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) scholar. She’s donated her time to Circle K, the Fitness Club, and the Student Nurses Association.
Barman has since left her peer mentor job to become a patient care technician at Virtua Hospital in Mount Holly. After graduation, she’ll take the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) for nurses and begin her nursing career with Virtua. She’s already familiar with the difficult days of the job, which are frequent and challenging, but it’s part of what needs to come to defy the expectations she renounced in India.
For her perseverance, Barman earned the college’s President’s Award. She will speak at the Health Sciences ceremony at RCBC’s winter commencement. Her message to her classmates recalls her story of resilience.
“My colleagues, my cohorts, they can definitely overcome anything,” Barman said. “They’re some of the most intelligent, hard-working people. During finals time, they were so done… I just want to remind them not to think that way. We’ve come so far. If I can accomplish all of this, I know they can also accomplish all of this.”
