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When the world is asked to stay home and socially distance from others, it is easy to yearn for a simpler time when we didn’t stare at the same four walls day in and day out.  But, as we creep into another month of social distancing, mask wearing, extensive hand sanitizer, and increasing cases, we reflect back on the good times. Those times when we could celebrate, interact, network, share a laugh and a meal with others outside of our house.  Today, I reflect back on the NAFSA Region VII Conference held last November at the Hilton Orlando, Lake Buena Vista. 

NAFSA: Association of International Educators is the world’s largest nonprofit association dedicated to international education and is comprised of eleven regions throughout the United States that offer conferences each year.  The Region VII conference brings together international education professionals from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.  This conference was especially impactful for me as I had the honor of representing our home town of Orlando/Central Florida as the Local Arrangements Chair. 

My role in the Leadership Team started back in November 2018 on the last day of the regional conference held in Memphis.  We met as a team and discussed what worked and improvements we could implement during the Orlando conference.   March 2019, the entire team joined together again, but this time in Orlando at the host hotel.  Over the span of three days we strategized on workshops, layouts, sponsorships, exhibitors, plenary speakers, and more for the 2019 Orlando conference. 

My team worked diligently to select a phenomenal plenary speaker that would highlight Orlando perfectly.  We selected the Orlando Fringe to showcase how the longest-running Fringe Festival in the United States can bring over 75,000 people to a 14-day theater and arts festival each year.  The festival prides itself on bringing together artists from all over the world for a truly inclusive, accessible, and uncensored cultural event. 

Conference attendees were not only treated to a lively speech from the executive director on the history of the Fringe and their message of equity and inclusion, but also performances from two remarkable artists.  Lindsay Taylor presented a monologue from the theater production, The Lightweight and Tymisha Harris brought down the house to roars and a standing ovation after performing two incredible songs from her one-woman burlesque cabaret, Josephine.  The regional leadership team said that it was the first time a majority of conference attendees stayed until the very end of the plenary event instead of heading to the session rooms early. Walking the halls of the conference hotel, you could hear people buzzing about how fantastic the plenary event and that the performances gave them goosebumps. 

The biggest decision during the March planning meeting was where would we host the All-Conference Event.  It is the main networking event of the conference and a time for the host city to really shine. The previous year it was held in a blues café in Memphis and included a full meal, drinks, and three levels of different live entertainment including an incredible Blues singer.  Orlando needed to top that in a big way for no other reason than to showcase our Orlando pride!  The decision was an easy one to make.  By unanimous decision, they agreed to my proposal of busing the entire conference attendees to Disney’s Epcot for an unforgettable evening of drinks, desserts, and most importantly, fireworks.  The bonus, and what probably sealed the deal for everyone, Disney would allow our guests 2 additional hours in the theme park after the fireworks to eat, shop, and enjoy all the attractions. How could we refuse? 

Thanks to my fantastic Local Arrangements team, we successfully bussed 550 conference attendees to the backstage area of Epcot before being escorted to our private event area at the World Showcase.  Our attendees were so excited to see a little of the backstage Disney magic and to be treated to a prime location to party, network, and watch the new firework show. 

Attendees loved the opportunity to explore the theme park after hours and ride the attractions with little to no lines (unthinkable at Disney World).  Throughout the night and the next morning, the conference was abuzz sharing stories of the remarkable night they had at Epcot.  Many said it was a night they will never forget and cannot believe that any future conference could ever top this experience.  Attendees from other NAFSA Regions as well as staff from the NAFSA National organization said it was by far one of these best conferences they have ever attended.  I am so bless to have been a part of such a remarkable event and grateful for the hardworking team that supported all our events.

On top of organizing all the local events for the conference, I also had the honor of presenting two conference sessions with fantastic colleagues from the region.  I partnered with Kim Priebe, Director of NC State Study Abroad, on the session Engaging Faculty through International Faculty Development Programming.  The session room was at capacity with conference attendees as we discussed the various professional development opportunities our schools offer for faculty to encourage international programming and intercultural competency.  

The second session, Retaining International Students through Student Programming and Events, was a lively discussion with Charlotte Bingham (Florida Gulf Coast University) and Maria Elena Gaborov Jones (UNC Wilmington) as co-presenters.  We focused the presentation on the various robust initiatives and best practices our three institutions implement that aid in the retention and engagement of our international student populations.  Both sessions were very well attended as well as received incredible feedback from conference session evaluations. 

As that conference is well in the books, and the 2020 Region VII conference kicks off this week virtually, I reflect back on our All-Conference event and the closing line of the Epcot Forever firework display.  It is as relevant today as much as it was a year ago: “May peace go with you forever and ever as you celebrate the future hand in hand.” 

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Hello international students,
Since receiving the new regulations from SEVP, WORLD has been working to develop options for our students who are abroad and cannot or are afraid to return to the US. We know this is a stressful time for our international students – you all are managing travel bans, quarantines, and restrictive visa rules, not to mention a global pandemic. We have so much admiration for how you are handling the difficult situation you have been handed. At Stetson, we are bound by U.S. laws, but we want to help you as much as we can within these regulations. We are trying to think creatively for ways to help you. If you cannot return to Stetson this fall and want to continue taking classes, you have a few options:

1. You could take Stetson classes entirely online from home if:  you are a  returning college student continuing your degree program.  First time in college students MUST take at least half their credits face to face or hybrid to remain in good standing so they must come to Stetson and be actively attending classes.
2. First time in college students who have not yet gotten a visa can defer their start date for Stetson and register for classes online.    Since you are not officially an international student until you are issued a visa you can choose to stay home and take the first semester of your degree online.  you MUST contact the world office to have your I-20 start date deferred until spring.  However, remember if you do have a visa you must come to campus and you must be in face to face or Hybrid classes if you want to study this fall.
3. If you have EU or UK citizenship and you are unable to return to Stetson this fall due to the travel bans in place on your country, you can study online from home. Athletes, you should talk to your coaches about this to be sure your athletic scholarships will remain available to you.

Another option you can choose is to spend two weeks in a third country quarantining there before proceeding onto the USA.  We strongly suggest you keep all your receipts and travel documents if that is your choice to validate the time in the third country.   Remember you will be required to quarantine again in the US upon your entry.

Either scenario, you should be in touch with Financial Aid to see if/how any of these options would impact your financial aid and scholarships. Athletes should be in touch with their coaches to see if/how this would impact their athletic scholarships.

Son Vu is a WORLD Alumni having graduated from Stetson University class of 2020 with a double major in Professional Sales and Marketing and a minor in Psychology. Since that time, Son has been working as a Centurion Sales Delegate for Stetson University Business School while on OPT.

Coming to Stetson from Vietnam for new international student orientation in 2016, marked the first time that Son visited the U.S.  He credits Stetson’s small size for the ease of his transition, “I got used to my new life in the States quite smoothly with all the help from the WORLD staff and my professors.”  Son said that he was “never made to feel uncomfortable even though I would ask many questions, both in class and in my social interactions”. He said he almost feels like any other student, “including the domestic ones” and says that is probably because English is his second language.

“I would not be where I am now without the personal guidance from the “teachers” that he had at Stetson. Some of them were professors and some of them were his friends. Son came to the U.S. as a new member of Stetson’s Honors Program.  He lived in Conrad Hall, a residential hall designated for mostly Honors and Bonner Program students, all four years.   He says that living in Conrad was the best decision that he ever made.  “I met many of my current friends and mentors from my first few years living there”. Never one to sit still for long, in his sophomore year, Son studied abroad again in Seoul, South Korea for one semester and came back to be a Resident Assistant for Conrad Hall for the last two years as he completed his undergraduate degree. He was also in one of the first groups to graduate from the Centurion Sales Program, under the guidance of Dr. John Riggs.

While Son has always been curious and has had a desire to try new things and explore, he said that none of his experiences would have happened without the encouragement and mentorship of the people that he met at Stetson. After his current job, Son is looking to work on his professional Sales career in a young company and eventually, build his own. Global citizenship, a value Son shares with Stetson, continues to be extremely important to him and he is planning to carry it and live by it wherever he goes during his career.

If you are interested in connecting with son for career networking,  please contact WORLD at [email protected].

Anh M. Nguyen is a third-year student from Vietnam majoring in International Business at Stetson University who recently received the Stetson “Student Employee of the Month – March 2021” recognition.

Anh started her employment journey in the WORLD office at Stetson University in 2019 as a clerical assistant, helping the WORLD personnel including Roxanne Lewis, Paula Hentz, and Wendy Viggiano. In this position, Anh manages a lot of assignments and tasks in the form of designing posters and presentations, planning events, handling email communication, and helping fellow international students’ with the management of their residency statuses here, in the U.S.. Before joining WORLD in 2019, Anh had no prior working experience. She was able to navigate her first employment experience with the WORLD with the help of the welcoming staff and fellow co-workers who guided her through all the hardships and challenges. Anh admits to having wanted to work in the WORLD office the moment he entered the place. This is because the WORLD Office creates a welcoming environment for international students to gather, express their feelings and concerns, and gain the necessary support. She wanted to start working at WORLD to contribute to assisting her fellow international students. Her goal in her student employment position has always been to assist them with their concerns and to help WORLD provide as many development opportunities as possible.

Anh notes that she was both very surprised and excited to receive the “Employee of the Month” recognition. She had always thought of this title but had never thought she would be able to receive it. She credits her supervisor Roxanne Lewis for not only helping her grow and gain so much professionalism over the years, but also for recognizing her efforts and dedication.

She says that the recognition means a lot to her,”It is an indication of my dedication and hard work. It means my work is impactful, not only for my personal growth but also for my fellow Hatters” –putting her in perfect alignment with her job goals.

Anh also shared the lessons she learned, the advice she would give to fellow Stetson employees, and her favorite moments working for WORLD. Anh notes that she gained a lot of various skills in her current position. She learned to work effectively both individually and in a team. Moreover, she was able to familiarize herself with all the management systems, such as the Shared drive and different websites/ platforms that the WORLD uses. Anh’s advice to her fellow Hatters who want to get Stetson employment is to, firstly, improve their time management skills. As a person of many commitments (besides her job, Anh is also the Vice-President of APAC, a Residential Assistant (RA), and most importantly, a full-time student), Anh believes that planning is the best way to manage your time. Every morning, she spends 5-10 minutes planning her day and setting clear priorities for the day. Secondly, Anh advices students to not leave everything to the last minute.

She says, “It is important to do disciplined work every day to be able to set time for other commitments and involvements.”

Lastly, Anh’s favorite part of working on campus is being able to learn from so many amazing individuals. She believes that her involvements always challenge her and help her become better. She hopes sharing this story will inspire other international students at Stetson to get out of their comfort zones and get involved on our campus.

Written by Ani Martikyan ’23

Four years ago these eager and new faces graced our campus for the first time. This week, our international seniors and WORLD Ambassador seniors will graduate and become alumni of Stetson University, but what would a beginning and ending be without the middle?  Four years ago we could not predict they would be such a pleasure to work with. nor could we predict that collectively they would win award after award in all areas of personal development. Some of their awarded development was for community engagement and service on and off campus, for outstanding grades and other academic measures, for leading their team to victory time and again, for leadership on campus and off, for outstanding performance in real world experiences locally, regionally . and nationally and for all other sorts of activities. We are so proud of everything they have accomplished and what they will continue to accomplish as alumni.  

While we are sad that we cannot have our normal celebrations to congratulate them on all of their achievements and to mark this milestone in their lives, we are looking forward to celebrating at commencement this December and we hope they can all return and take part in those events. We wish all of our graduates a safe and happy and successful future. Congrats Class of 2020! #hattergrad

Internationalized courses are the building blocks of an internationalized curriculum. Join faculty and staff experienced in internationalizing coursework to discussessential elements of an internationalized course such as level of activity, student learning outcomes, assessment, course content, and activities. Lunch is provided and limited seating is available.

By the end of this Lunch & Learn, participants will be able to:

• Identify 2-3 strategies for internationalizing a course
• Locate resources, including syllabi,  for internationalizing courses

Image reprinted from ACE Internationalization in Action

Ambassador meetings with students: every Friday at 12:30 pm via Zoom. See you there.

Do you know someone who would make a great WORLD ambassador in 2020-2021? Encourage them to apply at  https://world.stetson.edu/?go=WORLDAmbassadors