For Shyamkumar (Shyam) Mishra BS ’26, who graduated from North Park University (NPU) on May 9, attending NPU involved traveling nearly 8,000 miles from his hometown of Surat, India, a city in the state of Gujarat. In moving, he wasn’t just exchanging one urban environment for another but pursuing an international education in Chicago and a bachelor’s degree in marketing in his non-native language.
First-year orientation was the first time Mishra had been abroad or even met students from other countries. “I didn’t expect people to be kind,” he said. “I come from a completely different part of the world, and no one knew me. Yet they were kind. It was very touching.”
North Park’s diversity is part of what drew him in, especially because he noticed it included not only American students but also a vibrant international student community.
In the spring semester of his senior year, as the Student Government Association president, Mishra made giving back to the campus community that has shown him kindness a primary facet of his role. He advocated for the student body and served as a “bridge between the student body and university administration.”
He was active on campus in other capacities as well, serving as the International Club president, which he also founded; the Intercultural Late Night program chair; and a Voyage Activities Board member, a student programming organization that fosters community on campus and connects students to various opportunities to get involved. Mishra was also an active member of University Ministries, including the Urban Outreach team’s Friday Night Street Ministry, which serves Chicago’s unhoused population.
In all these endeavors, Mishra sought to build and strengthen connections, both between himself and others and among different campus organizations. Director of Intercultural Student Affairs Rashad Hanna recognized these efforts, presenting Mishra with the Diversity Award at the NPU Day of Excellence ceremony on April 15. This award honors a senior for outstanding leadership and sustained commitment to advancing North Park’s intercultural core identity on campus and/or throughout the Chicago community.
When reflecting on his years at NPU, Mishra said, “You’ll find endless people who are looking to support you. And for that, you have to get out of your shell as well.”
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