Belonging Abroad
Fiona Grugan studied abroad for the first time when she was five years old; she went to kindergarten in Germany for a month. Since then, Grugan has studied in Germany, Guatemala, the Bahamas, El Salvador, The Dominican Republic, and Morocco. Today, she’s the Senior Program Coordinator for International Student Engagement for the University of Arizona’s International Student Services (ISS), and a PhD candidate in Higher Education. Grugan’s research looks at international student engagement, which is why I thought she might be the right the person to talk about what international graduate students need to succeed. It turns out that one of the greatest needs is a sense of belonging.
“What we see when it comes to acculturation,” explains Grugan, “by which we mean the journey from joining a new host community to feeling like you’re a part of that community, is that students who are able to achieve acculturation are more likely to persist and receive their degree.”
So international students who engage with their community increase their chances of success. But what does community engagement look like? It’s more than just attending sponsored events. Community engagement is the intentional attempt to form connections within a community—inside or outside of a university. That’s why the ISS offers a mix of on-campus resources and community connections. The three Fiona and I talked about were the Buddy Program, International Friends, and Coffee Hours.
The Buddy Program is a purely social organization run by the UArizona Global Ambassadors. Students who join are added to the program’s exclusive Discord server and get early access to the social trips that take them everywhere from Bisbee to a local grocery store. Fiona advises that students sign up early to get the most out of the program.
International Friends is an independent non-profit that matches students with host individuals and families throughout the Tucson community.
“Beyond professional development, beyond academic development,” observes Grugan, “International Friends has this understanding that, to be successful, students need to have social connections, to have friendships, and to enjoy their time here.”
Students and their hosts can meet up for dinner, grab coffee together, and travel to see local attractions. Some students even attend their host family’s holiday celebrations and other important family gatherings. People who are matched through International Friends sometimes develop life-long friendships that endure after the student has completed their program. Students can apply on the International Friends website and should consider what their interests are before applying, to assure the best match.
The third program Fiona and I talked about was Coffee Hours. Free for students, Coffee Hours is hosted in the Global Center (previously the Park Student Union, right by La Aldea). This program is also run by the Global Ambassadors, who bring food and drinks to the Global Center’s courtyard every Friday afternoon. Anyone—international student or not—can stop by, hang out, play games, and participate in other activities. The courtyard will be renovated this summer, so the environment will only be getting better.
That’s all the information I can include without going even further over my word count, but don’t worry! The ISS is creating their own (as yet unnamed) podcast dedicated to international student experiences and resources, and taking into account the various experiences that graduate students have here at the UArizona.
“It’s so important as a community that we’re thinking about the different experiences of all the members of our community,” says Grugan. “I really hope this information is useful and folks who are connected to international students can stop by too, because we really are a part of the bigger community.”