International Students Acclimate to U.S. through Service

Since beginning class in September, Global UGRAD students have made headway on pursuing their goals (See video of fellows during their opening workshop). Nargiz, from Azerbaijan, jump-started her community service experience the first week of her arrival, working more than 16 hours to help the poor in the Graceland University community in Lamoni, Iowa.

Nargiz organized clothing and books at the Lamoni Service Center, a nonprofit organization fighting poverty, harvested organic produce at a community garden, and mentored youth at the Lamoni Youth Center. At the youth center, Nargiz played soccer and games with students in fifth and sixth grades as part of an after-school program.

Nargiz said that in a small amount of time, she learned a lot about the community service ethic in the U.S. “Volunteers here are very organized and know what they should do. Volunteers are committed.”

Around the country, other fellows have wasted no time in getting involved in their communities:

- In Elmhurst College, outside Chicago, Polina of Russia has already volunteered with three different community organizations in the past month. She packed food to be sent to Africa with Feed My Starving Children, distributed health kits for Partners for Peace, and distributed water to the participants at Chicago AIDS Walk/Run. Polina continues to look for more opportunities to contribute to her community.

- In Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Artyom of Armenia, who is studying at Augustana College, was elected the first International Student Senator in the Augustana Student Association’s history. He will represent the interests of the international student body, 150 students strong, on the Student Association, while gaining an in-depth understanding of democracy in action.

- In central Pennsylvania, six UGRAD students at Juniata College, coming from Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Belarus, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan, were active in volunteering in the college’s Special Olympics Games. They helped to organize and set up the day’s events and served as referees in volleyball and basketball games. They worked in teams alongside their American counterparts, contributing to the success and diversity of the Games.

These comprise just a snap shot of what the UGRAD students are doing across the U.S. We look forward to more stories from them as the year progresses.

The Global Undergraduate Exchange Program in Eurasia and Central Asia is a program of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the U.S. Department of State, and is implemented by IREX.