The International Admissions office announced the highest number of international students since the start of the pandemic, 2,089 students in the Fall 2023 semester.
Conversation Partners is a program that pairs international students with a student from the United States. Once an international student and an American student are paired, they meet once a week for at least an hour, according to the website.
“There are 122 students in the program and seventy partner pairs. Last year, there were fifty-six students in the program and twenty-eight partner pairs. From these, we have seen considerable growth this year,” said Ash Mierau, director of the Office of International Student Affairs, in an email.
On Thursdays from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the Student Center, there are biweekly events.
“I recommend this program to every Kent State student,” Mierau said. “No matter if someone is in their first semester or is a few years in with a robust social life at Kent State already, everyone could always stand to make a new friend and learn more about the world.”
In the first meeting on Thursday, there were more than 20 students joining the event.
“I could make friends from all over the world in the English as Second Language Program, but I want to make American friends to improve my English skills,” said Aoi Hashimoto, a sophomore from Japan in the ESL program.
American students and international students had conversations about their home countries, cultures, languages, interests, and played a game together.
During these meetings, partners share information about their culture, home country, state, city, education, interests, hobbies and more, according to the website.
“Both American students and international students can exchange culture, and be able to know more about their life individually,” said Namrah Khan, a graduate student from India in business analytics and a graduate assistant at the Office of International Student Affairs.
Some American students apply to a conversation partners program and have a strong connection with international students.
“My first time I applied to a conversation partners program was Fall 2019, and all conversation partners I had were great. My first conversation partner was from Saudi Arabia and they cooked their traditional food for me,” said Jade Northover, a senior biology pre-medicine major.
The program brings together international and American students for afternoons of conversation and friendship, according to the website.
“This year is my first time applying to the conversation partners program. I want to get more involved and meet people having different backgrounds,” said Sarah Bialosky, a junior criminology major.
For more information, visit the program’s website.
“Global Conversation Hour was a great experience because I was worried if I could make friends and have a conversation, but I could meet new people and have conversations by playing games,” Hashimoto said.
Yui Kaichi is a reporter. You can contact her at [email protected].
