Aakanksha Rane

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Hometown: Mumbai, India
 
Major: Masters in Business Administration, Athletic and Outdoor Certificate
 
Languages: Hindi, English
 
Hobbies: Listening to music, playing and watching sports, hiking, painting and art, trying new food, traveling and adventures

I was born and raised in Dubai, UAE which is located in Western Asia specifically at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. My parents however, are from India and moved to the UAE before I was born. This makes me an Indian citizen and growing up I spent some time traveling to Mumbai, India in order to spend time with my family there. I also identify as a “Third Culture Individual” as I was raised in an environment where the culture is different from the culture of their parents’.

Growing up in a diverse environment I was curious about people's stories and what made them who they were. In school I loved learning languages, like French and Arabic, that I don't remember as much anymore due to lack of practice. I also loved learning history, specifically those that shared stories about people’s culture and moments that shaped that. In my free time I enjoyed playing sports and being active. I loved attending soccer games with my family and was captain of the field hockey team back in high school.

When making career decisions I wanted to find a job that helped me stay connected to my love for sports and my passion for embracing culture. This made me want to work in the sportswear industry supporting DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) practices. In 2018, I started my undergraduate program at Portland State University where I was studying business and specializing in Human Resources. I picked Portland, Oregon as it is what I consider to be the sportswear capital! During my time in the undergraduate program, I made a number of friends and spent most of my free time outdoors enjoying the beauty of Oregon. I also accomplished so much like publishing a paper, producing a short film, and even supporting a business start up. With all the amazing resources the university provided, after I graduated in 2021, I decided to continue my education and started my Master in Business at Portland State. 

I am so excited to be a part of the ICSP program, as it provides me with the opportunity to share my cultural experiences as well as learn and embrace those of my peers.