New countries represented on campus this fall

They are Mustapha Barry, The Gambia; Anna Dembele, Mali; Nitsuh Edea, Ethiopia; Uyen Han, Vietnam, Ta-Fu Lin, Taiwan; Heather Ong, Singapore; Leana Tajkov, Serbia; Sara van den Bos, Sweden; Arseniy Yatsechko, Russia; and Yu “Sophia” Zhang, China.

A formal orientation regarding policies and procedures for international students took place Friday. After class schedules were confirmed and students had their ID cards in hand, they enjoyed a picnic at Chadron State Park this weekend.

Tamsyn Carey, project director for market development, said, “Because they come from so far away we plan events to help make the cultural differences less intimidating. We want them to know they can come by our office for help with anything.”

Staff members from the International Office typically pick up the students at the airport, take them to the residence halls and transport them around Chadron to open bank accounts and buy supplies.

Carey said this year’s group of new international students aligns well with the institutional goal for continuing to diversify the student population with 200 international students possible on campus within a few years.

International Club sponsors this year are Maggie Bruehlman, Michele Rickenbach, Maruta Hansen and Frances Gonzalez. Doris Liang is the club president and Kelley McNab is the Campus Activities Board representative and past president. The goal is to have 25-30 members and also increase the number of American students in the club.

Carey said she has noticed an increased number of current students seeking information about study abroad and believes the growth is related, at least in part, to the number and quality of international students at CSC.

“These students are on point. It's their dream to come here and they make the most of every experience and opportunity. They are a joy to work with,” Carey said.

Language classes tutored by international student volunteers in the library this year include Chinese, French and Spanish. The sessions are open to all students. Those interested may contact Doris Liang at 308-432-7015 or yanrong.liang@eagles.csc.edu.