By James Irwin
Omayra Chuquihuara didn’t visit the George Washington University until after she paid her enrollment deposit.
“I had never been to Washington, D.C.,” said Ms. Chuquihuara, who grew up in Lima, Peru. “I didn’t come on a college tour like most American students. But, for what I wanted to study, it just seemed like the right fit.”
Now a senior in the Elliott School of International Affairs, Ms. Chuquihuara, who first learned about GW in high school, is working to help prospective international students navigate the path from application to enrollment. She and Jennifer Donaghue, assistant director of international student services in the International Services Office, co-hosted a one-hour webinar last week through the U.S. Department of State’s EducationUSA series.
The webinar, “Adapting to American Campus Culture,” connected Ms. Donaghue, Ms. Chuquihuara and EducationUSA Program Director Andy Masloski with 228 viewers from 62 countries. Topics included campus life, health care, academic programs, extracurriculars, dining facilities and residence halls.
“I think it makes for a softer landing when they arrive in the United States,” said Ms. Donaghue, who studied in Spain for a year in college and later taught English in Japan. “This is an opportunity for prospective students to ask questions and hear from people who have experience working and studying abroad. We know where they are coming from.”
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| Jennifer Donaghue, assistant director of international students in the International Services Office, said webinars offered to prospective students make for an easier transition to campus life abroad. |
Ms. Donaghue’s office, located on F Street, serves as the primary administrative and programming office for international students at GW. ISO covers the compliance piece for international students, helping with visa status and student advising and hosting workshops and events throughout the year. But student support, Ms. Donaghue said, goes beyond logistical assistance.
“International Students come to the ISO with an immigration question but we’re the office that asks, ‘So how’s everything else going?’” she said. “The education experience is about holistic growth, the overall experience. When Americans study abroad they usually do it at mostfor a year. Our international undergraduates are doing it for four years. Were you ready at age 18 to go to China for your undergraduate experience? Would you have been prepared linguistically for the Chinese classroom? This webinar series provides a chance for international students to understand the support services they have when they get here to succeed.”
Ms. Chuquihuara, who also serves as director of international students in the Student Association, found the topics discussed were similar to questions she had as a prospective student. Unlike some international students, she has family in the United States (in New York) and had traveled through part of the East Coast prior to attending college. Despite her familiarity, she still experienced a transition in going from visitor to resident. Interactive tools, she said, can help with that.
“A lot of international students don’t have the resources to travel around and see campuses before they come here,” she said. “I think this gives some perspective of what campus life is like. I think webinars like this are very appropriate for people who are even a little bit interested in coming to the U.S. to study.”
Her advice to international students as they search for a college: Find the right fit.
“Don’t just apply somewhere because it’s a good school,” she said. “Apply because you want to go there and because you think you will be comfortable on campus. It’s going to be your home for a few years. And once you arrive, put yourself out there academically and socially.”