Pointlife
International students face a whole new culture at UWSP
The Pointer
hshee298@uwsp.edu
For approximately 40 years there have been international students streaming like water into the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point from every continent in the world, with the exception of Antarctica. The quality of education in the United States, and the welcoming nature of central Wisconsin play no small part in the reason why so many students choose UW-Stevens Point as their abroad location.
The International Students and Scholars Office is the department in which students are recruited by UW-Stevens Point and the organization that assists their sojourn to America. The ISSO Web site states their mission to “promote the university globally; recruit and admit international students; orient new international students to UWSP; and serve as a resource for all UWSP and students throughout their programs of study.”
The ISSO’s biggest resource to link international students with United States citizens and other international students alike is the International Friendship Program. ISSO defines this program’s role as, “introduc[ing] Central Wisconsin families and UWSP international students to one another, encourag[ing] friendships and broadening cross-cultural knowledge and understanding.”
Director of ISSO, Dr. Brad Van Den Elzen, stressed how much these, and other international programs, are for everyone.
“This office serves international students but also very much wants to welcome all students to connect to the world through this program,” said Van Den Elzen. “It is good for everyone to globalize and expand their education and world view.”
Van Den Elzen explained that the international students UWSP tends to attract are mostly Asian, having about 50 percent of the international students coming from mainland China. Other main countries include South Korea, Japan, Thailand and Colombia. Along with these countries, students come from a total of 34 countries.
Academically, Van Den Elzen said most were studying in the business and accounting majors, but that international students are distributed across most of the majors. He noted that although English at the classroom level is difficult for some international students at first, the biggest challenge most of these students face is learning a new set of cultural norms. Teaching methods, classroom culture and casual interactions can all have a new set of rules in each country. To stay motivated, international students highlight the value of an American college degree and, more specifically, enjoy the small town, “typical American” feel that Point has.
No stranger to these desires, Darejani Markozashili, a sophomore international student from the country of Georgia, said her main reason for studying at UWSP was “because foreign education, especially American, is valued back at home.”
After being a foreign exchange student at Lincoln High School in Wisconsin Rapids, Markozashili knew she wanted to stay close to college for academic reasons and because of the relationships she has formed here.
“Why wouldn’t I stay in the same place? I have connections here and Stevens Point is just the right size. I am more than just a number and more than just a minority here,” said Markozashili.
She said one of her main sources of friendship comes from the International Club on campus. Not only do they have monthly meetings, each with a theme country they celebrate, but the International Club also puts on large programs like the International Olympics (which is coming up this month), the International dinner, seasonal parties, welcome/farewell picnics and even various summer events.
“It is one of the most active organizations on campus and is a way a lot of International Students find community with others interested in all cultures too,” said Markozashili
Like Van Den Elzen, Markozashili encourages traditional students to engage themselves in getting a cross-cultural experience here on campus.
“Most people are so welcoming and tolerant here on campus,” said Markozashili. “But I know some people are uncomfortable talking to a foreigner. I would like to say feel free to come meet us and be a part of any of our programs. Come find out what we’re all about.”
