NSU Fall 2012 Horizons Magazine

12 HORIZONS 13 HORIZONS NSU is committed to making international students feel at home and acclimated to their new surroundings so they can concentrate on academics. Exploring the global path to NSU requires a stop with Anthony J. DeNapoli, Ed.D., executive director of the Office of International Affairs. The congenial director, master of five languages, is as skilled at painting an overview of student programs as he is at quickly pulling up key statistics. For example: Out of the 1,231 international students at NSU, the top five countries represented are Canada, Venezuela, India, Jamaica, and Saudi Arabia; students hail from 116 countries; and 27 percent are undergraduates. He even notes such curiosities as the fact that of the 127 international students in the pharmacy program, 72 are from India. Sometimes the increase of international students in one program or another is sim- ply due to word of mouth back in their home countries. As Ilic illustrates, word of mouth is a powerful magnet. Look no further than NSU’s soccer team, for example. “We brought in several players from Italy one year; they enjoyed the experience… and later they became the recruiters,” said head coach Giuseppe DePalo, himself Italian. “Now we have nine Italians.” The Italians join international student-athletes from South Africa, Peru, England, and Canada. A simi- lar pattern has emerged on the basketball team, according to DeNapoli, where there is an out- sized contingent from Australia. The Borderless World How does NSU attract students from such far-flung corners of the world? It doesn’t hurt that NSU has partnerships, projects, and programs from Jamaica to Malay- sia and several dozen countries in between. In dif- ferent roles at NSU, DeNapoli has been a part of an exponential growth in this area, including online. “The bor- derless world,” as he calls it, is reached by “marketing, quality, reputation of the programs, and word of mouth.” Leaving home for college can be a daunting experience that is magnified when that student is from another country. Sometimes it’s the simple things, such as getting a driver’s li- cense; obtaining a Social Security card; or even finding the way to NSU’s main campus from the airport. But one of NSU’s core values is being student-centered, so DeNapoli and his team communicate with students constantly to ease that transition. Last year, he and Alejandra Parra, M.A., associate director of international affairs, pioneered a “virtual pre-arrival orientation.” The online presentation, which the prospective student views in his or her own country, is so innovative it is being studied and implemented by other colleges and universities. “Anything you need to know prior to leaving your country—email, clothing, health insurance, housing arrange- ments, course registration, student visa requirements and procedures, and more—is in the program,” said Parra, from Argentina, who is also finishing her doctorate in education at NSU. “We do a briefing on what it’s like to live here. We even have a quiz that the student completes at the end.” DeNapoli has also added a Skype site to the arsenal: “We are available to talk and text-chat with prospective students from their own country.” Once the student arrives, a division of DeNapoli’s department, the Office of International Students and Scholars headed by Parra, takes over. The welcome orienta- tion is a check-in process where staff members connect with the student individually and advise on matters from housing and jobs to student visas and immigration compliance issues. Two full-time advisers and five graduate assis- tants staff this effort all year long; also coordinating an assortment of workshops—even one on income tax prepara- tion for foreign nationals. Various departments and colleges have their own traditions. Soccer Coach DePalo has staff members greet new soccer players at the airport and help them settle. Chinese student Milly Yin was picked up at the airport by a member of the Student Affairs department when she transferred to NSU last summer from a college in Arkansas. Yin began work this semester on her master’s degree in college student affairs, which she said is the reason she chose NSU’s Graduate School of Humanities and Social Sciences. Orientation is also provided by a host of campus clubs such as the Indian Student Association, currently headed by junior Dylan Dinesh, who is studying biology under the dual admission program. “I receive emails at the beginning of the new school year from students wondering where they can find a place to live,” Dinesh said. “I’ll meet with them and give advice. Some will go to our Facebook page, which they find through the NSU Web site, and then find roommates through the postings.” Dinesh is Indian American. So while he is not technically an international student, he can be an Indian student’s best friend. Not to mention a friend for other Indian Americans. “Back in Texas where I lived, I never had any In- dian friends,” said sophomore Bhupesh Manikonda, also in the dual admission program. “Thanks to [the organization], I also am more in touch with Indian culture.” Culture is center stage in many activities. Junior Isabelle Verret, a biology major from Haiti, heads the Nova International Students Association (NISA). Welcoming students from all countries, NISA sponsors weekend trips throughout Florida, community cleanup projects, and festivals. Members are available to help those coming from vastly differ- ent cultures, whether they join the group or not. Calvin Austin, a prelaw student, first approached NISA because he wanted to raise the profile of Guyana, his home country. “Last year, I was trying to find an organization to represent Guyana,” said Austin, who is now the organiza- tion’s treasurer. “[At NISA] everyone is kind of like family, willing to help, and accepting.” These programs and clubs help students adjust to life at NSU while keeping them connected to their culture and focused on their studies. DePalo notes that the Athletics Department has staff members who keep track of the student-athletes’ academic standing, and provide mentoring as needed. Dinesh says his education is on track at NSU. “The quality of education I am getting here at NSU is spectacular,” he said. “The professors care about their students. NSU also offers many opportunities for students to become campus leaders.” Both NISA and ISA often form study sessions if students need help, and “to offer moral support,” added Verret. “We want to see students achieve what they have come to NSU for, and we would like to be a part of that,” said Dinesh. The paths to NSU from around the world are as diverse as the students themselves. And even before they get to NSU, those ready to serve them eagerly await. After all, that’s what being a student-centered university is all about. n Below: Anthony J. DeNapoli, executive director of the Office of International Affairs Deborah Pabon, international student and scholar adviser; Alejandra Parra, associate director of international affairs; and Isabelle Verret, an international student from Haiti Above: Dylan Dinesh, center, with Teisha Joseph, Shivali Patel, and other members of the Indian Students Association Right: Moisés David González of Colombia, Tameka A. Thomas of Jamaica, and Fernando Martínez of Venezuela in the Office of International Affairs