International Education Center creates cultural connections
Being a college student is difficult enough, now imagine going to a university in a country where you don’t know anyone and don’t understand the culture. GC&SU’s International Education Center started the International Connections program many years ago so that international students would have someone to turn to when a problem arose and wouldn’t be left to fend for themselves.
The International Connections program pairs international students with local adults. The relationship that ensues sometimes takes the form of a friendship, and other times, a surrogate family unit is created.
Pairing the international student with a local adult is often based on shared interests, hobbies or compassion for the same country. Sometimes they are just randomly put together because neither has a preference, said Libby Davis, the associate director of the International Education Center.
“I met my host family through my local connections program,” said Nicole Li, a GC&SU international student from China. “Through having dinner and going out with my host family, I know more about the American culture, such as what they do during their leisure time and how they usually interact with people.”
Li has only known her host family for a month, but she has already been engulfed in American culture.
“The other day, my host mom took me to a football game and a cookout,” Li said.
When looking for local volunteers for the international program, Davis seeks out faculty, staff and community leaders who have a genuine interest in different cultures and who will be respectful of the student’s beliefs even if they differ from their own.
GC&SU counselor Jennifer Strole is the local connection to Supanan Deeprasert, a GC&SU international graduate student from Thailand.
The benefits to being a part of the International Connections program are being able to maintain international relationships, disband American stereotypes, represent American culture positively and learn more about other cultures, said Strole.
Though they have only been connected for a month, Strole and Deeprasert have gone to the movies to see “In Her Shoes” and visited each other’s apartments, and Strole is helping Deeprasert shop for a used car online.
“I think it’s a good thing to know people from different cultures,” Deeprasert said. “(Strole and I) have the same interests and get along easily.”
Strole likes the flexibility of the program. She and Deeprasert are able to take it in any direction they want.
“(The program) helps ease culture shock orientation and provides a safety net for the international student,” Strole said.
Libby Davis notes that many of the international connections made in the past still have contact with each other, even though the student has moved away.
The beauty of the program is that it provides a mutual exchange, and both people in the relationship benefit by sharing their language and culture.
The International Connections program is open to all types of local volunteers. Traditional families, grandparents and singles are all welcome to fill out applications.
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Nov 11 2005. Filed under Other.
You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0.
You can leave a response or trackback to this entry
