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| VIEW FROM THE HILL |StudentViewOngyel Sherpa ’05Q & AWas it difficult for your family when you left home inKathmandu, Nepal, to study in the United States?My parents never had any education. They grew up with many siblings in ahigh mountain village. They had no electricity, no running water, no school.But, they also believed in education, and they saved every penny of theirearnings to send us to school. They have always supported and encouragedme in my studies.Ongyel Sherpa ’05How did you get to the States and to Champlain College?In 1998, I met this wonderful American, Dr. Geoff Tabin [professor of surgery at the University of Vermont]. He came toNepal to climb Mt. Everest with my uncle and to do charity work at the hospital. He invited me to come to the United States.In exchange for paying for my airfare and providing housing, I would help him watch his children, cook, and help around thehouse. Dr. Tabin ended up sponsoring me for my school.You already have an associate’s degree in Travel and Tourism from Champlain.What are you studying now?I left Dr. Tabin’s house when I received my associate’s degree, and I worked very hard for a year at the Lake ChamplainChamber of Commerce in Burlington to come back to Champlain for a bachelor’s degree in Business. I also received supportfrom a gracious benefactor.In addition to studying and working, you’ve begun a business. Have you had anyexperience running a business?My parents worked for a family from New Zealand for six years, and then they helped my parents start the first dry-foodmanufacturing factory in Kathmandu. We produce porridge, granola, muesli, dehydrated fruits, vegetables and packet soups,which we distribute to retail shops, trekking companies and individuals. I took phone calls from customers, attended meetings,monitored food and labor costs, tracked employee attendance, and checked payrolls. I have also been importing handmadegoods from Nepal for a few years. I have been selling my products to the local retailers, and last summer, I had a streetshop downtown.Your business sounds labor-intensive. How do you manage it?I met Matt Gutt ‘05, who is an e-Business Management major, through Professor Robert Cartelli. I was taking his Entrepreneurshipcourse, and Matt was taking another class with him that required setting up a retail business on the Internet, so wegot together. I wrote up a plan for my business—US Sherpa—and the content for a new website. Matt did all the Web work,buying domain names, subscribing to a Web host, etc. The site (www.ussherpa.com) went live last November. This is anonline shop where customers can buy Nepalese products and find information about our trekking and tourist service in Nepal.I got to show this site to my parents, which made them very happy. I am also taking Elaine Young's e-marketing class so that Ican make my website attractive.Photograph by Kris SuretteWhat are your plans after graduation next year?I’d like to stay in the United States and continue to do business between the two countries. I would like to have a store in theBurlington area, where I’ll sell my import goods and arrange adventure trips to Nepal. Eventually, I’d like to be the numberone Nepalese entrepreneur.Champlain View | Spring 20049