Students, staff, and friends come together

San Jose City College promoted cultures all over the world with events such as an Express Language/ Cultural Survival Session, where students taught basic greetings and taught etiquette in Thai, Japanese, Ethiopian and Farsi.

A panel of students and faculty participated in a weeklong World Cultural Engagement conference in Austria and spoke about their experiences with financial assistance and other opportunities to go abroad.

For Doriann Tran, an international student counselor, International Education Week was a chance for international and local students to mingle and promote international programs offered at school.
“International Education Week unites people, promotes diversity and international pride.” Tran said.

IEW was an opportunity to celebrate international education and exchange on a global level during the week of Nov 16- 20. It was an effort of the U.S. Department of State and the U.S Department of Education to promote programs that educate Americans about the international community and allow students from abroad to gain knowledge and experiences in the United States.

“Investing in the potential of all young people, through access to a well-rounded, world-class global education is an investment in our collective future,” First Lady Michelle Obama said.

The IEW presented, a world culture poster contest and an
international street food festival to add flavor.

The IEW was followed by a Thanksgiving style dinner where many international students and friends gathered for food and conversation. For many the dinner gave an opportunity to experience an American holiday that was unfamiliar to them.

Mudassir Hasan, 30, a computer networks major is from Pakistan and participated in the festivities the school provided. He sat with others at the table ready to eat fried chicken and southern biscuits.

“When I first arrived it was somewhat depressing,” Hasan said. “I was homesick and somewhat confused with the new environment, but the counselors and friends of the program helped cope with the transition of coming abroad to study.”

Video of students dancing the Merengue here