On the last day of the 2025 Wisconsin Idea Seminar, Angela Johnson, teaching faculty in the Art Department, mentioned her upcoming trip to Nepal to Jay Stokes, King-Morgridge Scholars Program manager in the International Division. Johnson would be leading two bookmaking workshops in Kathmandu with Edgewood College’s Artistic Heritage in Nepal Program. It just so happened that Stokes had been working with an incoming UW-Madison freshman, Aayush Koirala, living outside of the city, and he offered to make a connection.

The following week, Aayush bussed 90 minutes to the School for International Training’s Nepal Tibetan and Himalayan Studies Center to participate in both of the bookmaking workshops Johnson was leading for the class of Edgewood College and Nepali students. Johnson was thrilled to meet an incoming Badger in his home city, and Aayush was excited to connect with members of the Madison community. With plans to pursue business and economics, he expressed that engaging in bookmaking offered a valuable opportunity to practice his creativity. The Edgewood College study abroad participants traveling with Johnson valued connecting with a peer who would soon be living and learning in Madison.

“The most meaningful part of our collaboration with SIT was the connection they fostered between Edgewood students and local Nepali students—building relationships through shared projects and art-making,” said Dr. Sarah Stolte, assistant professor of art history at Edgewood College and faculty leader for the program.