The International Student Council and The Society of Global Cultures kicked off their first event, “Education Across Borders,” where students discussed their experiences receiving an education abroad during the International Education Week in the Student Center Ballroom Balcony.
International Education Week is a joint initiative of the U.S. Departments of State and Education. The objective is to promote educational programs that prepare Americans, as well as international students, to succeed in a world that is becoming increasingly globalized, according to the Office of Global Education website.
“We at ISC wanted to organize ‘Education Across Borders’ because I was inspired by my professor Dr. Toumi,” said Ogulkeyik Hudayberdiyeva, a sophomore from Turkmenistan communication studies major, and president of the International Student Council and The Society of Global Cultures.
There were two domestic students, Haydn Colucci and CeeJay Scott, who went to France and Egypt, and two international students, Tasnim Al-Naimi and Javier de la Morena Corrales, from Palestine-Jordan and Spain.
The students shared their experiences such as culture shock, what motivated them to study abroad and reasons why domestic students chose studying abroad.
“I faced a lot of challenges as an international student such as health insurance and immigration status,” said Tasnim Al-Naimi, a doctoral student in the translation studies program from Palestine-Jordan. “Also, our country has more collective culture, while the U.S. tends to be more independent.”
Students who attended shared their experiences on overcoming challenges and difficulties, such as what their time was like in their home countries, the education system and how the community communicates. The audience was allowed to ask questions during the event.
At the end of the event, Colucci and Scott encouraged and gave advice to the audience through their experiences.
“Do not be afraid to speak to people,” said Haydn Colucci, a senior French major from the U.S. “Try not to have specific expectations. Enjoy whatever comes to you and experience different cultures.”
Al-Naimi and Morena also shared their advice as international students.
“Just go for it if you want,” Al-Naimi said. “Meet new people and jump into a new environment.”
At the end of the event, there was a raffle and giveaways, such as T-shirts, pens, luggage tags and more from the College of Communication and Information and the Office of Global Education.
“I want students to learn that studying abroad is possible and that it can be an excellent source of education,” Hudayberdiyeva said. “Because when you get out of your bubble, that is when you start to become a citizen of the world.”
To learn more details, please visit the Office of Global Education website.
Yui Kaichi is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].
