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| Student Affairs Matters :: Winter 2009 | ||||||||
Francesca Martinez said her friendships with international students at UC Davis are as significant as having travelled abroad.
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Have An International Experience At HomeIn a recent survey of entering UC Davis students, 60% indicated they wanted to study abroad, yet only about 2% of undergraduates end up doing so. However, students who don't study abroad can have an international experience right on campus, according to Wes Young, director of Services for International Students and Scholars (SISS). "If students take initiative, they can meet students and scholars from 100 countries," says Young. "Every region of the world is represented on campus." In fact, it surprises most people to learn that UC Davis has the fourth highest population of international scholars in the U.S. Only Harvard, Stanford and Berkeley have more. So how can students connect with international visitors? The Club International, sponsored by the International House, is one option, says Francesca Martinez, staff member with SISS. Martinez, a transfer student who graduated in 2005 with a bachelor's in psychology says, "Through Club International, I became friends with people from around the world," says Martinez. "It was a life-changing experience." While Martinez ended up studying abroad in Italy for a quarter, she says her international connections at UC Davis were of equal significance. "The campus has a close-knit international community," says Martinez, "and students within that community value continuous friendships. So UC Davis undergraduates who want to become engaged with international students should realize they need to go beyond attending one event. Once you're friends with a few people, the whole community opens up to you." When she first became acquainted with international students, Martinez was thinking primarily about what she could gain from the cultural exchanges. However, she discovered that sharing her experiences and perspectives made for a dual learning experience. "My experience went beyond learning about each other's cultures, though," says Martinez. "I've remained friends with many international students I met as a student, and I've visited them in their home countries. We all keep in touch through Facebook and Yahoo! Groups." Resources
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