International program brings diversity to NSUs campus

Hannah Nielsen
The International Program at NSU offers a broad range of opportunities to help students become more
culturally aware on campus and around the world. These opportunities range from on campus events
that allow students to share their culture, to helping send domestic students to colleges halfway around
the world.

One of the important roles the International Program has on campus is to help foreign exchange
students adjust to life in the states in any way they can. From paperwork, to counseling, to funding
events, the International Program offers a multitude of services available for foreign exchange students
to utilize. Jami Wright, admissions coordinator, has the opportunity to work with international students
first-hand. Wright shared her thoughts on the importance of the program.

It helps our students who dont get to travel outside the United States interact with them and learn
from them, said Wright. And I also think our international students learn from our students that are
here in Tahlequah.

International students are attracted to NSU for the low tuition, family environment and the campus
diversity as a whole.

By having people from other countries, it makes us more aware of other cultures, said Sara Claus,
Belgium sophomore. It gives you a broader perspective of the world around you.

The second important role the program has in the NSU community is to get domestic students out in
the world. A new partnership with International Student Exchange Programs allows students to study
abroad for the cost of NSUs tuition, cutting down normal study abroad costs to a fraction of what they
were. This partnership also gives students access to more than 300 universities around the world.

We are the only university in Oklahoma that has a partnership with ISEP, its actually very difficult to
get a partnership with them because they have very high standards, said Tricia Price, study abroad
coordinator. NSU has such low tuition that its really amazing that our students can now study abroad
through this program.

Price said the benefits of studying abroad are professional and personal and that no one has ever
regretted going abroad. Students gain a wealth of knowledge inside and outside the classroom.

It taught me that the world is a really big place and there is a lot to see, especially about other cultures
and the importance of their traditions, said Bailey Kennedy, Pryor sophomore. Take advantage of it
while you can.

Kennedy went on the Costa Rica trip with NSU and learned about tropical ecology. The students got to
experience the class hands on and in the field, as well as be immersed in the Costa Rica culture.

All students can get involved with the program through various services, trips and events put on

throughout the year. The International Student Organization is open to all students, domestic and
international. The International Program also offers a buddy program that pairs an international student
with a local student on campus. Students interested in being a part of the buddy program can fill out an
application in the International Program office located in the John Vaughan Library.

Lastly, students interested in studying abroad can attend the annual study abroad fair. Tables with more
information about trips and other opportunities will be set up from 9 a.m.- 1 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 28
in the UC basement.