January Issue by ISV Magazine

January 2012

» Volunteering in Malawi The beginning of one student’s journey to Africa

» Brazil to America - One Student's Transition » ISV Spotlight Award: The Global Ambassador

» Invest in MyTab for your Next Trip

Message From The Editor Welcome to another issue of International Student Voice Magazine. In this issue we have a great variety of stories, from celebrating International Education Week, a life changing experience in Bangladesh, to finding your true love from another country. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s becoming even more important each day that students develop the skills and experiences necessary in becoming citizens of the world. International Student Voice Magazine allows students to serve as ambassadors by providing opportunities to read and share experiences with their peers. This provides the chance for us to advocate diversity and understanding in our world. Our team continues to be inspired by the experiences students share with us and we are honored to share them with the world. You can share your story right now, please visit www.isvmag.com Thank you for reading and we hope to hear from you soon.

Carrie Circosta Chief Editor ccircosta@internationalstudentvoice.org

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International Education Week

A look at how different college campuses celebrate cultural diversity

From International Student to Artist of the Year

TOEFL Didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t Prepare Me For This! 10 Language can be a huge barrier when abroad. See what student Vanessa Franco has to say about it in her article!

Raising Money to Travel? Put it on MyTab!

Life-Changing Experiences In Bangladesh

Travis Schultz left the border of the U.S. for the first time to teach English in Bangladesh

ISV Spotlight Award

The Beginning of My African Adventure

While on her way to help a non-profit organization in Africa, Abby discovers the courage to travel on her own

February Special: I Date Someone from Another Country

Whats Inside? 3

Travel to International Education Week! International Education Week (IEW) is a time to celebrate international education! Check out these photographs submitted by universities showcasing how they celebrated IEW on their campuses. International Education Week was established by the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Education. According to its website “International Education Week is an opportunity to celebrate the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide. This joint initiative of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education is part of our efforts to promote programs that prepare Americans for a global environment and attract future leaders from abroad to study, learn, and exchange experiences in the United States.”

ille ia str ainv u A oug n ma lia B y a r a C st s na Au tswa nds moro uti a o a rub ia Bo de Isl a Co Djib dera A i r n k nia Bos e Ve lomb mar s Fe reec e rm ivia Cap Co Den land r G I A Is ol a a ry lta an lic ntin tan B anad Taiw epub kland ibra unga e l G We asked students and university administraArg Bhu on C hina, ch R Fa ana as H ep a s tors to share their photos from International ud uda mero ic C Cze land Gh ndur le’s R cedo b r a Education Week with us. If you would likeBa y a o p ru rm bl Is d n Be dia C epu Cyp eroe rman te H Peo rg M onte to submit your photographs just emailnthem a a Beni mbo le’s R uba to Carrie, our chief editor at ccircosta@ Fa a Ge ty Sta cratic mbou lia M u g i a C i p a i isvmag.com nt lize i C eo atia hiopi eorg an C emo Luxe ongo d A P d e t D n a n o M c , G uill um B uru hina e Cr nia E he , Vati orea, uania aco Zeala IEW for 2012 will be 12-November gNovember B n i r T C voi n e h K o yourucam, to 16. What events beason elg F a AwillBthere ’I Es mbia ly Se bati in Lit a Mo New a olby d c pus? Tell us commenting online! g s i a a a e a n ia ir ru in M re Ho ot ste ov a A Bela Burk ina, a C Erit on G aiti ya K hten Mold ledon r r o osmore rabout n b c ic IEWhon isvmag.com! H a a nd Learn d lga ia ng C sta R uine a Ga ana n Ke a Lie xico ew C A a b e N si lG oa uy sta Bu Ko Co ar M by am es B unei ong nds atoria olyne au G zakh ia Li otte tilles S P n n a s u ay la er Br ad ,H rica angl nds hina ok Is r Eq ench a-Bis an K Lib us M nds A e o r o o i B m C la d F uine Jord oth urit erla C a A rain rgin Is hile lic of alva iana a i th G es r e C ub l S Gu nea apan on L ia M s Ne ah h Vi E d B p i n a J he Britis Ch o, Re gypt ench Gu ica eban urita rland a r c a a E l i L F n a M m ng bl the r cea epu f Co uado nce atem ly Ja atvia que l Ne i R L u o a ra an ublic ic Ec d F m G el Ita aos artin Nep n l M L a a p a b Re epu Finl e Gu d Isr stan alta auru i R M p ij i N an yz can sia F delou Irel Kyrg Mali amib a e N t s aq ron a Gu n Ir uwai ldive mar a K Ira an ad en esia sovo sia M My e y o n do of K Mala biqu i am lic ub alaw Moz M o ar orocc M 4 at ua

A Musical Journey Through Turkey

Indonesia Night

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Africa Day

Flags of the World Parade

Texas A & M 5

Henna Tattoos

Russian Nesting Dolls

Japanese Art Stand

William and Mary 6

UC Irvine 7

From International Student Nidal Ibourk was recently awarded the Young Female Artist of the Year from Morocco World News. Read her experiences as an International student, transitioning from a rural campus in Ohio to an urban campus in Chicago, and how she keeps a positive attitude despite the unexpected realities of life after gradation.

Nidal Ibourk

to Young Female Artist of the Year

Kent State University, Ohio

Nidal Ibourk is from Morocco and graduated from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio in 2008 with a Bachelor’s in organizational communication. She then earned her Master’s in human resources development at Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, Illinois in 2011.

bachelor’s degree at Kent State in two years, instead of four,” Nidal said. “The scholarship covered everything, tuition, the residence hall and food.” Nidal isn’t new to traveling and knowin

Nidal was determined to make it through and was able to come up with a simple solution.

From Morocco to America, Making It as a Student

“What helped was asking questions. I would ask questions and sometimes people would laugh, but I didn’t care. Asking questions and participating helped.I always sat in the front row because I wanted the professors to know who I was. After class I talked to the professor and asked if there was anything to do to help my grade.”

Nidal always had the dream of studying in the United States. It just wasn’t financially possible. But one day, it all changed. “The English department had a scholarship similar to a Fulbright scholarship,” Nidal explained. “I already earned a degree in English studies, but I wanted to study in the U.S. Only 15 students were selected [for the scholarship].”

This was also the first time Nidal lived on campus as well. She said to get the full American experience, students have to stay in the dorms.

And Nidal was one of the 15. The students were divided into different groups and each group was sent to a different state and a different university. Nidal’s group was sent to Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. “My credits from my bachelor’s degree transferred, so I was able to earn another

“The only challenge I had was getting used to the education system,” Nidal laughed. “All my papers had to be typed! During class there was a lot of slang and everyone talked fast, so I just had to absorb everything fast. I felt my brain was going to explode. Everything was new.”

Nidal receiving a top scholar award at Kent State in 2007. Photo courtesy www.kent.edu

about different cultures. She felt comfortable with American culture and knew about current events in the country. But transitioning from a Moroccan classroom to an American classroom was not as smooth as expected.

“My first roommate was African American,” Nidal explained. “I recommend to have the full American experience you have to live in the dorms. It helps a lot more. When you live in an apartment you feel like any other person paying the rent, just thinking about bills. In the dorms you don’t.” Many students find dorms to be noisy and are scared they won’t be able to study, but Nidal didn’t have a problem. It really

depends on what kind of dorm you’re living in. “I’m kind of a nerd, so I would go straight to my room and study,” Nidal laughed. “I had a full scholarship and had to keep a good GPA. My first year I was in a predominately freshmen hall and then moved to an upperclassmen hall.The first year hall everyone is fresh out of high school and more interested in socializing. In the other hall my last year I was focusing on classes. But the resident assistant was a cool guy and activities were always going on.” Nidal also made time to participate in student organizations and even helped plan an International party. “It helped introduce American students to different cultures,” Nidal explained. “There were about 150 to 200 in attendance. There was a lot of dancing!” Kent State University is located in Kent, Ohio. Currently enrolls more than 36,000 students. Kent is about six hours away from Chicago.

month in Chicago I said people were so rude! In Ohio everyone would say hi, in Chicago everyone is rushing." It doesn't matter if an International student in studying at a suburban campus in Ohio or in the hussle and bussle of Chicago, Nidal said to make it, you have to stay true to yourself. "There are bad and good distractions," Nidal explained. "Sit down, have a one on one talk with yourself and ask 'What am I here for?' I'm here for school. Stay grounded and stay true to yourself. Stay true to your cultural values and try to open up your mind even if people disagree with you. Try to understand why they have that perspective."

Moving to Chicago

Life After Graduation

After graduating from Kent State University Nidal went to Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago for her Master's. Northeastern was smaller compared to Kent State and had a population of about 300 International students. It didn't have residence halls, so Nidal said she couldn't get that same full American college experience like she previously did at Kent State.

Many International students who graduate from a U.S. institution or at least been pursuing a degree for nine months and want to gain work experience in America, are far too familiar with OPT (Optional Practical Training).OPT is a chance for students on a F-1 status to work at most one year without needing a H-1B working visa. If a student is studying toward certain fields in science, OPT can be extended up to 29 months. This is supposed to help students gain actual work experience.

She was able to manage, however, by getting involved. "I did what I could to help other International students," Nidal said. And being in Chicago was able to offer something Nidal couldn›t get in Ohio. "There are so many more opportunities in Chicago and you can learn different cultures," Nidal said with excitement. "I am very involved in music so there are a lot of different musical groups. Being in a big city helps a lot when understanding culture." But Nidal said you have to count in the higher cost of living and not everyone is going to stop and say hello. "In a small city [like Kent] International students get the suburban feel and people are nicer," Nidal said. "During the first

What adds more salt to the wound, in order to get a job under OPT you need previous experience just like any other job. As an

Right now Nidal is on OPT. The clock is ticking. She can find work, but the ultimate goal of OPT is to find an employer to sponsor your H-1B working visa. And it seems no one is willing to pay the extra money to sponsor immigrant workers while the economy is bad. “I would recommend students do OPT and not expect a lot,” Nidal explained. “The experience is good, but because of the economy to employers it’s not worth having a person just for one year. They would rather go with an American, not a foreigner. And if you can’t find a job on OPT right away you can get three months of unemployment, but that leaves seven to nine months of work and who wants to hire someone just for seven or nine months?”

International student you are only permitted to work on campus. “Most on-campus jobs are administrative jobs or flipping burgers,” Nidal said. “Regulations won’t allow you to work off campus, so it’s hard to get experience in your field of study. I’m sharing my opinion, it’s almost not giving you what they promised. I’m lucky enough I had a graduate assistantship that I would do projects related to my major, but others weren’t that lucky.” Nidal said she had to open up her job search to include more fields. She is looking for a job in training and development in Human Resources, but is also looking at higher education and any other opportunities. “Personal connections help,” Nidal explained. “I volunteer and perform. I travel to Las Vegas, Detroit, New York City and Washington DC. I’m trying to remain optimistic. I want to do a PhD eventually, but when the time is right.” Nidal also suggested to students on OPT volunteer at companies related to their majors/areas of work. This way a student can get his/her “foot in the door” and it’s a chance to show skills and work ethic. Nidal currently works as an employment specialist for a non-profit organization in Chicago. She has concerts planned in the following months and is working on two major music projects. To find out more about Nidal’s life, her work as an artist, and even see a live performance visit ISVmag.com!

TOEFL Didn’t Prepare Me For This! Vanessa Zapata Franca University of Akron, Ohio You think you know English, but then you come to America! Vanessa quickly learned that TOEFL can’t prepare you for everything, but she’s definitely not giving up anytime soon - Even if people give her strange looks.

Vanessa: The scholarship is from the Timken Company in Canton, Ohio. My dad worked for the branch of the company in Brazil. Only family members could apply for this scholarship.

Vanessa Zapata Franca is an international student studying at the University of Akron in Akron, Ohio. She is currently studying biomedical engineering. Vanessa wrote the following article for ISV. The ISV staff also had the pleasure of meeting Vanessa in person and at the end of the article you will find more details of her successes and challenges of studying in America. To come to the USA, I got a full scholarship that pays not only my school, but also my housing and general expenses. Before coming, I had to take the TOEFL exam. To tell you the truth, I wasn’t really prepared for that! I took several particular classes with a professor that used to live in the USA before giving classes in Brazil. It was only him and I for at least two hours daily, studying English and he would persuade me to speak only English during classes, however I would always switch to my native language, it was easier. Once I passed that exam, my grade wasn’t the best, so my scholarship scheduled a phone interview with me. I would spend hours on Skype with my sister practicing what questions they would ask and so preparing the answers. At that time, I could only speak if I had a paper and a pen on hands to prepare what I was going to say. Finally I came to the United States of America. The first weeks were awesome, my parents had come with me for my sister’s graduation and we would only speak Portuguese between us. When I started visiting school and meeting new people that the biggest problem started, I couldn’t understand half of what people would say! I’ll always remember the first time I went to Starbucks with my sister, what I understood from what the lady said: BLA BLA BLA BLU BLA? And my reaction: BLU… WHAT? Her first Starbucks experience didn’t discourage Vanessa. “I go so often now!” Yeah, it was not easy. The hardest was not even to understand people, but to make people understand me. My lovely advisor registered me to my speech class my first semester. That was my nightmare, but I guess that helped me to be more confident. And just to clarify how scared I was of that class, one day I was sick, and almost didn’t

ISV: Were you the only Brazilian in your classes? How did it make you feel? Vanessa: Yes, at the beginning it was fun. Then you miss your culture and your friends. My sister is also here, but I am interacting with people not from Brazil most of the time. ISV: Who were some other students in your classes? Vanessa: There were a lot of Chinese, Indian and I was friends with one Romanian girl. This was for the class English composition for international students. This is different than ESL. I did well on my TOEFL so I was able to take composition. ISV: Do you have many American friends?

have voice, but it was my day to give the speech. I was so nervous and unconfident, since I didn’t have voice, that right on my last sentence of the speech I believed my whole speech was a disaster, and started crying. Yes, embarrassing. There are things that we can and will easily overcome; every difficulty just makes you stronger. However, there are things that will always be with you. For example, after 2 years being here and having clear English that most people can understand, I refuse to ask anything in class. I just hate to ask something and the teacherlooks at you with that interrogation face and asks, Humm… WHAT? Even with so many bad and sometimes, scary experiences I wouldn’t change them for nothing! I’m a more mature girl than when I came here; I was literally the daddy’s girl. My friends didn’t believe I had to cook and clean by myself. Life changes, and if you don’t learn how to get the good part of every bad experience, you’ll never understand why that can change your life. And currently, I can say, nothing can stop me!

ISV’s follow up interview with Vanessa on 12/05/11 ISV: Can you explain how you heard about the scholarship that led you to study in America?

Vanessa: Dave is my only American friend. From my experience, it’s just a cultural difference. Americans come off as cold. It’s hard to make American friends. ISV: What advice do you have for other international students? Vanessa: I had to find the courage to make it happen. I had to change my major and forced myself to give speeches. Now I can do [these things]. It just takes practice. Also don’t be scared of faces. You are better than that. ISV: What are your future plans? Vanessa: I just bought a new car. A 2007 Ford Fusion. I was able to save the money on my own, which was the best thing. I am working on my CPT papers so I can work. I also work on campus at the Dean of Engineering office. I plan to graduate and look for a job here. I know it’s going to be hard, but I’ll try.

Many of us know the phrase “put it on my tab” from our pub crawls and nights in the bar. But this new kind of tab helps you save money, not spend it! If you’re planning to travel, try using MyTab to raise the cash. Later in this issue you can read Abbie Morneault's story. She shows that it is possible to raise enough money for that trip you always dreamed of taking, if it’s for study abroad, volunteering abroad or just going on vacation. The team at International Student Voice knows when it comes to fundraising for a trip it’s important to keep money just for that purpose separate from all other finances. Instead of opening another bank account, there is now an option of opening your own MyTab account. MyTab has already been mentioned in reputable sources such as USA Today, International Studies Abroad and MSNBC. One important note before you continue reading: www.mytab.co can only be used for U.S. originating trips for right now. In other words, your starting point must be in the U.S. You must also have a valid U.S. billing address. If you are still interested, let’s get down to the details!

What Makes MyTab So Special? “[Students] can save more travel cash and book directly on MyTab,” Heddi Cundle, the

founder of MyTab explained to me over the phone. “If someone gives you cash for something, it goes somewhere else. It’s never used for the intended purpose. Or people don’t know what to buy you. [MyTab] is easier. Then that inspires you to go somewhere with this money.” I thought about it and it does make sense. How many times did someone give you cash or a check for books, food or gas and you end up using that money on clothes, music or anything else not really necessary? Or if someone gave you a check, how long did it sit on your desk before you cashed it or somehow it got buried at the bottom of your purse, never to be found again?

integrated with Facebook, the shout outs and thank yous are posted to either the user’s wall or their friends’ wall, generating traction and potentially more donations.” It seems simple enough, so I tried it out myself. You can create an account using your Facebook or create one without using Facebook. I chose the Facebook option and creating the account really just took one click of my mouse. When the account was created it automatically posted a message on my Facebook profile.

If you have someone put money on your MyTab, then that money will stay there until you need it for your trip.

You then have to go into your account and add your origin location, that way it can be saved once you start creating trips. From there you can add your first trip. Speaking with Heddi inspired me to travel to London, England so I created a trip. You can add a picture for your trip, but I found the best size for this picture is small, such as 63×69 pixels. I used a photo of an envelope, as you can see below. You name your trip, how long you plan to stay, if you would also like to add a hotel with your trip and also have the option to tweet about your trip.

Creating Your Account and Adding a Trip

After you put in all your information you can click ‘Calculate Cost’ at the bottom of the

“Once [someone] signs up for free and simply shouts ‘Put it on MyTab’ [on Facebook or Twitter] family and friends gift them cash toward their trip,” Cundle said. “Once booked,

they thank all their family and friends for helping their travel dream come true. Since MyTab is

Raising Mon Put it on

page. It will then give you an estimate of how much your trip will cost. My one week round trip flight to London would cost between $767 USD to $774 USD. My hotel would cost between $86 USD/night to $160USD/night. Once you have all the details set for your trip you click ‘Brillant!’ to make it official. Then it automatically posts another message on your Facebook profile for your friends and family to see. If you selected to use Twitter it would also send a tweet as well. From there people can donate money to be used toward your trip.Don’t worry, if someone you know doesn’t have Facebook he/she can still donate money by using PayPal. You can post on Facebook and Twitter as many times as you want by using the ‘Gift Me’ button at the top of your MyTab page and update your family and friends on your fundraising progress.

Redeeming Your Money Once you raised enough money for your trip, redeeming your money is simple. At the top of the page you will find the ‘Book Travel’ button. Once you click it you will be able to search for flights or flights and hotel options.

ney to Travel? n MyTab!

Just released in January 2012 there is now the integrated map. “It’s inspiring,” Cundle said. “You can see where your friends are and where they’re going.” Perhaps you raised too much money? Since now you can see where your family and friends are going by using the integrated map, you could return the favor by gifting them money.Your money will stay on your MyTab until it’s used.

“One additional Reaching a Bigger Goal feature is since we know the student’s Of course helping students collect enough destination, travel money for their trip is an important goal of dates and saved and MyTab, but Cundle explained it’s also about gifted funds, we can reaching a larger goal. match this to travel deals so students “It’s just not organizing the trips for them, but receive a deal from inspiring stories and having conversations us without needing with students about objectives and what to scramble for days you would like to achieve on this [trip],” trying to search for the Cundle explained. “I met my greatest and best price elsewhere,” most inpiritng friends while studying abroad. Cundle explained. It took us to a whole other level we wouldn’t “We call this, have been able to reach while at home. ‘Match MyCash!” Study abroad opens your eyes. We want studends to go out and travel.” That is convenient. No need to click through Students using MyTab can connect with hundreds of results other students raising money for trips on Kayak or Expedia through the MyTab blog located at https:// anymore. mytab.co/blog. Once you create an account you also receive a pretty nifty newsletter Hot Off the explaining new features and important Press: A New updates. Of course you can follow MyTab Feature! on Facebook and Twitter.

My Life-Changing Experience in Bangladesh Travis Schultz

Peace Corp Service, Bangladesh

Travis Schultz left the borders of the U.S. for the first time to teach English in Bangladesh. Since he stepped off the airplane, his life would never be the same. Travis Schultz is a first year student at Florida State University studying for a Master’s in sociocultural and International development education studies or SIDES. Before entering this program Travis served in the Peace Corps and left US borders for the first time in August 2005 for Bangladesh. Though his time was cut short and had to leave in March 2006, he will never forget his time in this country. The following article was written by Travis about his time in Bangladesh. Living in the developing world is often pitched to students in the United States with

emphasis on the poverty, political oppression, and dysfunction of the societies and governments. Students who go on foreign visits or attend classes with this sort framework generally emerge with enhanced self regard and a fair amount of pity for people not lucky enough to have been born in a developed country like the United States. This sort of comparative and self-congratulatory approach should be replaced with a more open one that takes seriously the chances of finding positive aspects of life for those living outside the developed world. Students who are truly exposed to a variety of cultural, political, and economic systems abroad often emerge from their experiences noting that there are surprising number of similarities in the human condition regardless of location and culture. Finding common threads that bind people together, I would argue, is a better way of

instilling appreciation for diversity than one that emphasizes the destitution or oppression suffered by individuals outside the United States. Pictured in the upper left photograph are Travis (right) and his friend Emon (left). “Together we would hold English class on the roof of his complex every Friday. Emon taught me how to play cricket, took me to my first puja and generally help me understand Bangladesh. He was one of my best friends during my time there.” I was 22 when I opened up a big blue package from the US government saying that I had been invited to serve as an English Teacher in Bangladesh.(I was a Peace Corps volunteer; sadly my time was cut short because we were evacuated after 8 months) My flight

to Bangladesh marked the first time I had ever traveled beyond the borders of America. I do not know if it was just the shock of the new, but something about the country grabbed me in both mind and heart. While being in a place where everything was new and strange, I also had to figure out how to teach spoken English to a class of over three hundred students. To this day, I have no idea Shapla - a flower if I was successful, but at least we were able to able to have spirited discussions about the world around us. I started to see that led to empowerment; in Bangladesh, the line between the haves and the havenots is clearly drawn. If a person can read and write, they have multiple opportunities for advancement. If someone stays illiterate, they become a burden. Being a Peace Corps Volunteer and a teacher gave me the opportunity to highlight everything that is good about education in America. For example, I could implement interactive teaching methodology that is uncommon in many developing countries. Although my assignment in Bangladesh was cut short, and I did not get to see my labors bear fruit, it set me on my path as an educator for those who need it most. Bangladesh is over crowded, filthy, exotic, impossible, and I loved it! I was totally taken by the place, the people, and its conflicts. Since stepping off that airplane, I have never really wanted to be anyplace else. I loved chowing down on ruti in the morning. I loved the huge smiles that greeted me wherever I went. I loved being able to walk wherever I wanted to go. The smells of the open market, the spices, the chai wallas, the local shop owners pulling me in for tea. Yes, there will always be time for tea, and anything worth doing is done over tea. My CD player broke, so I took it back to the store where I bought it because it was still under the year warranty that I was convinced to buy over two cups of tea. The shop owner carefully looked over my CD player, and after a few long seconds of pondering, said, “This is no good, I cannot give you a new one, warranty no good.” What are you talking about, I insisted as I showed him my receipt. “No, No, No, come let’s

find yourself watching something you not only hadn’t seen before in your life, but had never even imagined. People who learn to respect the surprises that living in a developing country can offer will do very well, and if they are lucky, like me, the experience will shape their lives forever! Travis explained the Peace Corps was evacuated in March 2006 and he finished his service in the Philippines. He liked it so much there he stayed from May 2007 to November 2009. Most recently Travis was in Lesotho, South Africa teaching English as well as basic computer training at the National Health and Training College with Peace Corps Response.

native to Bangladesh have tea and we will discuss this matter of your CD player.” After two or three cups of tea I left the shop with a smile and ended up buying an even more expensive CD player! My movements and teaching became in tune with the call to prayer five times a day. Once the Imam’s voice rings out over the loudspeakers, all work stops. The sounds of Pujas before each meal in the Hindi district made me crave fish from the river behind the village. I loved the six day work week, because in Bangladesh there is so much work to be done that one must work that extra day, and still nothing ever gets done. I came to Bangladesh as a young man searching for how to spend his life while wandering around this planet. Now I realize that upon arriving in Bangladesh, I entered a world which nothing afterwards could ever compare to. Bangladesh is a place that The always provides more questions than answers. In order to be successful in such places, it requires a vivid and wild imagination. You can be strolling along to the store or school and

Travis plans to graduate from the SIDES program at Florida State in 2013. In this program students learn about International and multicultural education and development as well as serve a two year service tour with the Peace Corps. Travis learned about the SIDES program while serving in the Philippines. After graduation Travis plans to return to Southeast Asia with a goal of becoming a professor or continue working with a non-governmental agency (NGO). Learn more about the SIDES program at our website - isvmag.com - or at coe.fsu.edu!

Turag River was a short walk from where Travis stayed

Spotlight Winner: Kelcie Evenson Kelcie Evenson

Georgia State University Kelcie is known as the “global ambassador” for Georgia State Uni-

ISV Spotlight Award Here at International Student Voice, we want to take the time to make sure students are rewarded for their hard work and dedication to making their campus inclusive and internationalized. To that end, we created the ISV Spotlight Award. The Spotlight award recognizes a student who not only cares about his or her campus community, but takes an active leadership role.

versity. Her passion for international education has led her on several study abroad trips as well as taking the time to help and educate her peers. Nominate a student for the ISV Spotlight Award! Just follow these easy steps: 1. Name of student 2. Student’s university 3. Student’s area of study 4. Country 5. Write a nomination no more than two pages explaining why the student deserves the award. 6. Email nomination to the email: @internationalstudentvoice.org The following nomination was written for International Student Voice by Amanda Roshan-Rawaan, study abroad advisor at Georgia State University. I am delighted to nominate Kelcie Evenson for the International Student Voice Spotlight Award. Kelcie is currently a junior at Georgia State University, majoring in International Economics and Modern Languages (with a concentration on Spanish). I am a Study Abroad Advisor in the Study Abroad Programs office at GA State and the supervisor of our Study Abroad Squad, a group of top-notch returned study abroad students, of which Kelcie is a member. As

Kelcie’s supervisor, I have seen her grow from a first-time study abroad student to Mexico into a fourth-time study abroad student to Spain. A true Georgia girl, Kelcie is the embodiment of a U.S. student who embraces a global perspective, and she truly is an inspiration to the international education field. Kelcie’s enthusiasm for studying abroad never ceases to amaze our staff. She has single-handedly increased the participation in her study abroad programs by tirelessly championing the benefits of international education. She’s a one-woman internationalizing machine! She draws on her own memories and perspectives as a study abroad student to Mexico (Summer 2010), China (January 2011), and Spain (Summer 2011 and Spring 2012) to show other students how life-changing studying abroad can be. In fact,

after studying in China last winter, Kelcie even decided to add Chinese as her minor! While some students view studying abroad as a way to travel the world, Kelcie views studying abroad as a way to experience the world in ways she never could by only staying at GA State. When given the opportunity, Kelcie plunges headfirst into making new, international friends both at home and away and exploring new cities and landscapes.

Malaga, Spain this semester, and I am confident that Kelcie is representing our university and the United States well. I know that she is engaging with her classmates as a global ambassador, and that she can’t wait to return to our campus to continue advocating for international education!

Did you like Kelcie’s story? Let us know what you think of

It is no overstatement to say that Kelcie is working to internationalize our campus, one

this article, as well as this issue, on IS-

student at a time. As one of my student assistants, Kelcie is always ready and eager to speak to classes, give impromptu student advising sessions, and stop students on the sidewalk to let them know about our study abroad programs and scholarships. Her enthusiasm is infectious, and she works to make sure that each of her classmates and fellow Greek Life students knows that studying abroad is an option. Many students look to Kelcie for advice on finding scholarships for study abroad, choosing a program, and understanding the benefits of what they’ll experience overseas. Her knowledge of studying abroad is surpassed only by her passion for helping others have meaningful experiences.

international education, her campus and community involvement is unbelievable. When helping her make her work schedule for our office, we navigate around her many commitments: volunteering at the Confucius Institute (a position she created after studying abroad in China), volunteering at the homeless shelter on Wednesday nights, Bible study on Monday nights, volunteering at Trick-orTreat So Kids Can Eat, maintaining a leadership position within her sorority, Phi Mu, and maintaining a 3.75 GPA. Using her student leadership roles, Kelcie has organized multiple international events and info sessions for Greek Life and for freshmen students, helping our office expand our outreach efforts by hundreds of students.

In addition to Kelcie’s devotion to

Kelcie is currently studying abroad in

Vmag.com. At ISVmag, you can give and read other people’s feedback, read brand new stories, and submit your own experiences!

The Beginning of My African Adventure Abbie Morneault Malawi, Africa An opportunity of a lifetime: a chance to help start a nonprofit organization in Africa. Learn about Abbie’s “adventure before the adventure”: finding money to fund the trip and discovering the courage to travel on her own. Abbie Morneault is a senior integrated mathematics major at Kent State University in Ohio. Abbie wrote this article for ISV to document part one of her adventure to Malawi, Africa to help start a nonprofit organization. Abbie visiting Lake Malawi

What Lead to the Adventure? In the summer of 2010 I was given an opportunity to travel to Malawi, Africa; it was an opportunity that I’ll never forget. In this article I talk about the events leading up to my African adventure. I had my first taste of international travel in 2004 when I traveled as a freshman in high school to Australia with a student ambassador program. I’ve been bit with the travel bug ever since and over the next few years I traveled to Honduras with Rotary International and various parts of Europe performing with a student wind ensemble. In the fall of 2008 I started college at Kent State University majoring in Secondary Education. I assumed I probably wouldn’t be traveling again for a long time. My schedule got busy and it was hard to save money living on a college campus. I continuously saw flyers around the university telling me about different study abroad programs but every time I would investigate they never seemed to match up with my program or didn’t seem like something I was really interested in. It was in my

sophomore year of college it all turned around and I got an offer I couldn’t refuse. It was towards the end of November 2009 when I was asked to travel to Malawi with a small group of people to assist in the startup of a newly founded nonprofit organization known as Determined to Develop and its partner company, Maji Zuwa. Both were founded by someone I had worked with a few years back at a leadership seminar. After working together we stayed in contact through email updates and Facebook posts. This is a perfect example as to why networking is an important part of building personal and professional relationships. Finally I had found an opportunity to travel that really connected with me personally. Traveling to Africa seemed like a great opportunity to learn about a culture that was so vastly different than my own. I was really looking forward to stepping out of my comfort zone and learning how others lived. This wasn’t a cookie-cutter style trip where everything was planned out by someone else and it wasn’t a trip taken year after

year. This was a unique opportunity that no one else would ever experience and it made me more than excited. It was more of an adventure than anything I had ever experienced or ever thought I would experience in this lifetime. My trip to Malawi would only be about two weeks. The two weeks were not nearly enough time to see and do all that we wanted. During our stay, our goal was to work with the local village headmen to talk about the social problems affecting their villagers so that we could then brainstorm ways to counteract those problems. The nonprofit we were helping start-up would be a place that tourists, school groups, church groups, backpackers, .etc could stay to enjoy the beautiful country of Malawi while also working on service projects to benefit the local villages and schools.

How I Raised $4,000 By the beginning of December 2009 I had jumped head first into fundraising. Although my parents were able to help fund my

pricey adventure, I felt it was my responsibility to come up with the money, and a lot of money is what I needed. The total cost came to roughly $4,000 including round-trip airfare and in country lodging and dining. My parents were happy to help buy items for traveling and helped pay for a few things, but I was very proud to say that I raised a lot of the money on my own. I decided that writing letters to my family and friends would be the most fruitful course of action. I drafted a letter explaining my trip to Malawi, the things we were doing and how their donations would help. Along with the letter, I included a self addressed envelope and a stamp. I sent the letters to those who had helped me fundraise for trips in the past like my family, friends, church members, and teachers and professors. Two weeks later I received my first check in the mail and from then on it was really happening, I was really going to Africa. On top of everything else I had going on during my spring semester of my sophomore year of college, I started an on campus job that took a lot of my time, but it was a good experience and helped me save some money to put towards my trip. I continued to collect donations and eventually opened a second checking account. I highly recommend keeping fundraised money separate from personal finances because for me it helped me keep track of what I had and what I still needed. I used my Africa account to renew my passport, purchase essentials for my trip, pay for the vaccinations I needed, and to buy the most important item: a round trip plane ticket for one.

Becoming an Adult I never expected to ever be buying a plane ticket by myself. Up until now I had traveled with my parents or some other responsible adult. Although I would be traveling with one other person, I was expected to be the adult. When and how did I become the adult? Where were the real adults to make everything go smooth? As I went through this experience I kept wanting to turn around to see other people pulling the strings and keeping things together, but it wasn’t until that July morning when I arrived at my terminal in Dulles International Airport to find that my plane had left without me, did I realize I was the only one able to make this happen.

So there I was, with my traveling partner Samantha, standing in the empty terminal trying not to have a panic attack. Our connecting flight from Cincinnati arrived late and we missed the once a day Ethiopian Airlines flight to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where we were to get on another flight to our destination: Lilongwe, Malawi. I broke down and called my dad. Could I do this on my own? As I cried to him on the phone, people stared at me on the tram back to the ticket counters. What was he going to be able to do? He was in Cincinnati and I was trapped in DC; I was the only person that could get me out of this mess. Samantha and I worked diligently at the ticket counter trying to explain our situation, hoping the airline would take mercy on us. In the end, they agreed with us that it was their fault that we missed our connection and we were booked on the next day’s flight.I would end up spending the night in Washington DC and caught the next day’s flight to Ethiopia where I once again missed my connecting flight. That’s right; I once again missed my connecting flight and was stuck in Ethiopia, this time because of a computer error. My name wasn’t listed as having a ticket for the once a day flight to Malawi and it left without me. My traveling partner and I spent the next three hours figuring out how to get to Malawi. The Ethiopian people that we worked with were difficult to understand, but I know that we both had the same goal. I don’t believe they wanted two stranded American girls stuck in their airport as much as we didn’t want to be there. It was finally decided that the airline would put us up in a hotel in the city and we would be on the next day’s flight to Malawi. Here’s a tip: always carry a printed out receipt and itinerary for your plane just in case something crazy like what happened to me occurs. I had an itinerary, but it was for the flight I was supposed to be on the day before. Also, an extra set of clothes wouldn’t hurt either.

Abbie’s Quick Lessons Learned

» When you’re fundraising open another bank account so you can keep your personal money separate.

» When traveling be sure to have a printed

receipt and itinerary with you at all times.

» Pack an extra set of clothes in your carry on bag.

Did I Make the Right Choice? I spent the night at the hotel in the middle of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia wondering if I had made the right decision. Was the universe trying to tell me something? Should I just turn around and go home? When I finally landed the next day in the beautiful country

of Malawi, it was confirmed that this was where I needed to be. The six months of fundraising, the sleepless nights worrying if I could do this, the two extra days of travel I never wanted melted away as I realized Malawi was the place for me. I didn’t even care that I had a seven hour drive to our lodge or that my bags wouldn’t arrive for five more days, I had finally arrived and at that point that’s all I needed to start a fabulous adventure. From that point on I knew I was the only person able to get me where I needed to be whether it be in travel or in life. Abbie will return to Malawi to teach math inthe summer of 2012 and stay for one year. The ISV team wishes her the best of luck!

February Featured Article

I Date Someone Another Country We have two couples sharing their love stories with International Student Voice. They show us that it doesn’t matter where you are from or what obstacles you face, love will always find a way.

Kira Blome, U.S. and Alex Acosta, Mexico. Our first story begins with Kira Blome and Fersen Aljeandro Aguilar Acosta, or Alex for short. Kira is from the United States and Alex is from Mexico. Kira and Alex will be married on July 7, 2012 in New Jersey. This is the story of how they met and fell in love. In January 2010 Alex left Mexico to attend Elizabethtown College in Pennsylvania for one semester to study international business. When he stepped off the plane in the U.S. the first American he met from Elizabethtown College was Kira. For Kira, Alex was the first International student she met. Kira is from New Jersey

and was attending Elizabethtown College, or E-Town what most students call it, studying biology. She volunteered to be part of a mentorship program to help International students during orientation. She met Alex doing an airport pick up. Little did both of them know within just a short amount of time they would fall in love. “He was the first [international student] I picked up,” Kira said. “When I first met him it was adorable because I talk really fast and I could tell he wasn’t understanding, he was just smiling.” Kira and Alex started dating within six weeks of meeting. They will be married July 7, 2012 When they returned to campus it turned out Alex lived in the same building as Kira, actually just on the floor above her. They would meet up for lunch almost every day and Alex would call Kira for help to get around campus. About six weeks after they first met, both of them knew they were more

than just friends. “We were like, we’re together, right?” Kira laughed. “So we just picked a date [we started dating], it’s February 7. It just happened. But the main thing was that we couldn’t get too close and comfortable. He was leaving in June. I might not see him again. But we agreed to see where it goes.” Most couples would agree that communication is very important in a relationship. But for Kira and Alex their relationship really depended on it.Alex did leave in June 2010 to go home to Mexico. “We have to talk about more things than other couples,” Kira explained. “I remember a few weeks before [Alex] left and we talked about what if he met someone else. Or if I met someone else. We agreed to never lie, just being open and honest, having to trust each other. We talk to each other every night at 10:00.” Kira also explained having the support of family and friends is extremely important, especially in a long-distance relationship. “My family’s first reaction [when we started dating] was ‘typical Kira’, but when he left we were still together,” Kira laughed. “Financially my parents are supportive of

getting plane tickets and supporting me flying to Mexico by myself. I begged and cried to go see him that summer [2010]. It was supposed to be in December. I convinced my parents to go in the summer, I got my passport right after he left!” For the next year Kira and Alex saw each other when one could visit the other. Kira stayed in Mexico for two months during the summer of 2011. Only this time Kira would come back from her visit not just Alex’s girlfriend, but his fiance. Alex was able to record his proposal to Kira and they were more than generous to share it with International Student Voice. To watch Alex pop the question, visit our website: www.isvmag.com! “Everyone already knew, he told my sister,” Kira shared. “He proposed at a park, I really had no idea! We were taking pictures and he was recording the whole thing. He had planned the whole thing and it was amazing he did that for me. I hate my pants in this

video, but I didn’t know what an important day this would be!” It has been a tough immigration road to travel for both Kira and Alex. Alex applied for a fiance visa in September 2011 and just got approved this past January. Kira said she hopes he will be back in the U.S. by March or April, at the latest by Easter. “You have to be very patient,” Kira said. “When to see each other, patient with immigration. Patient with everything.” After the wedding Kira and Alex plan to build their new life together. They will be finding jobs and a new place to live. They are looking for a place where both of them can grow into careers and be together always. “We’re at the point we truly know each other,” Kira shared, making it obvious she is smiling over the phone. She said since being engaged her friends asked her how does she know she’s in love. Kira’s response:

“I always tell them that you know you are in love when you cannot live without the other person. I can say this because I have spent the past two years living mostly without Alex, and I know I couldn’t do it forever, it is so hard! But also, this is one bonus of being in such a hard relationship, you learn how much you love the other person, and how much a part of your life they are, in every way.. I remember the first time when Alex left in June after his study abroad ended, one thing I missed the most was having him sitting in the car next to me, something so simple made me so happy. I don’t think you fully get to appreciate and love someone without the experience of having to go through life knowing they are so far away. Some of the hardest things to do in a relationship like ours is to count down the days and minutes until we see each other again, we have even convinced ourselves that wow..we will see each other gain in three months, but to then realize, if three months goes by fast, one week together feels like we have been together for only a second. The one most difficult thing we have had to do, is to spend time together and finally, feel complete to then have to drive to the airport a week or two later, drop someone off and walk away from each other to get on a plane , I still don’t know how we have had the strength to do that but we can happily say, next time he comes, we will not be saying goodbye!” If you are currently in a relationship with someone from a different country, or thinking about the possibility of dating someone from another country, Kira shared some sound advice. “If you’re going to date someone from a different country, go for it,” Kira said. “But keep in mind you need to have a plan. When you’ll see each other is important. Having a goal, how to be together. It’s tiring and frustrating. Planning to be together at some point, even if it’s a couple years, it’s having the hope that gets you through. Trust them, be honest with them, if you don’t trust each other it’s not going to work.” Congratulations Kira and Alex from the International Student Voice team!

Fanny Knipper, France and Satyam Bharadwaj, India Our second Valentine’s Day story comes from Fanny Knipper and Satyam Bharadwaj,

February Featured Article

I understood he liked me. I don’t know about his reaction because I directly left for class, I was blushing! He texted me a few minutes later and said that he would come pick me up after my class.”

both students at Kent State University in Ohio. Fanny is from Bordeaux, France studying political science and Satyam is from Delhi, India studying business management. It only took one kiss to get this relationship going. But who kissed who first? Truly a great story! Fanny arrived at Kent State University in Ohio in August 2011. She explained it’s very important to travel while in college and studying in the U.S. is a dream for every European student. Her parents were able to come to the U.S. with her to get settled, but they soon left and Fanny said she cried and was very sad. There was an International student picnic to welcome all the new students and she decided to go. “Finally, I took the first chair I found and in front of me was a lonely Indian student,” Fanny explained. “We started talking. It was terribly complicated for us because of my level of English and his accent! We talked about random things. He seemed very nice, but I was not able to have a real impression of him.” That first week of the semester Fanny and Satyam were always together because it was hard to meet other people. It was about three weeks into the semester when they realized they had feelings for each other. They realized their friendship was something more when Satyam would talk to other girls and Fanny said she became jealous. “One day we were in front of the Music and Speech building and he was making me jealous by talking [to other girls],” Fanny explained. “I just kissed him and left for my class. I didn’t really need courage because

have to work out.

From that kiss Fanny and Satyam have been dating for the past five months. When it comes to dating someone from a different country, Fanny said there are a couple of differences they

“The difference in languages is the most important,” Fanny said. “Also we can sometimes have different reactions to situations. We just talk about it and try to understand each other. For example, we both have a different way of consumption. We don’t have the same standard of living and sometimes we don’t understand the behavior of the other [regarding] money.” Both of their families are very supportive of their relationship. Satyam has been able to meet Fanny’s parents by using Skype and Fanny talked with Satyam’s father on the phone. In about a week Fanny and Satyam will travel to Boston. “My parents will come to Boston to visit me, so I thought it was a good idea to spend time together,” Fanny said. “I want [Satyam] to meet my parents and especially my little brother, they both love soccer!” When we asked Fanny why she loved Satyam she said it’s because both of them are very different and they bring a lot to each other.

“The thing I love the most about him are the values he supports,” Fanny explained. “I guess it’s because of the culture [being from] India. He has more simple values [such] as love, health. Mine are more superficial. He also takes care of me and this is very important since we are far away from home. We are more sensitive and fragile and we need someone to support us.” Fanny and Satyam shared a very simple piece of advice for those dating someone from another country: “Love is stronger than difference.” Good luck Fanny and Satyam from the International Student Voice team! Safe travels to Boston! The team at International Student Voice is always looking for stories just like these! Students can submit their own articles or be interviewed by the ISV team.

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I love so much the ISV magazine because it is a great way to help others through their stories. It is really amazing how many things you can learn from other cultures and students as well.

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