“When you see that smile on people’s faces and they are more comfortable and less scared, that’s when I feel we are doing something good. We are here to help international students know they’re not alone. They’re not the only people struggling with paperwork. They’re not the only ones who are missing home. We do our best to help, and I feel so honored to be a part of it.”
Mina Raja Moghadar
Mina Rajaei Moghadam is a second-year graduate student, specializing in computational linguistics. Moghadam enjoys serving as a member of NIU’s International Student Ambassador Program.
“I had my own charity in Iran and always wanted to help people. When I continued my education abroad, I learned how international students had to tackle different obstacles. It’s not just about school, it’s about life in general,” Moghadam said. “I always wanted to do something to be a bridge in the middle, and when I learned about this program, it felt like the intersection of my desires and what I wanted to do in life.”
The number of new international students at higher education institutions in the U.S. grew by 14 percent in 2022-23. In total that year, American institutions hosted more than one million international students, who represented 5.6 percent of the total higher education student population. More than 1,000 international students are enrolled at NIU in the 2023-24 academic year, the highest number since fall 2016.
Moghadam cites learning to communicate in a new language, feelings of isolation and hesitation to ask for help as some of the challenges international students can face as part of their journey.
“Any international student who feels they need help for anything, don’t feel embarrassed. This can be the hardest part. Just come and ask for help and we will be there for you,” she said.
The International Student Ambassador Program aligns with university goals to expand effective practices that support students to achieve their academic goals, along with building a community of care that demonstrates compassion and empathy for students.
“Internationalization of our campus is an asset to NIU, and the presence of international students on our campus enriches our university,” said Kerry Wilks, associate vice president of International Affairs and dean of the Graduate School.
Pavan Aratakatla
Pavan Aratakatla is a graduate student in his final semester with the Department of Operations Management and Information Systems. Aratakatla came to NIU from India in the fall of 2022 and is serving in his second semester as an ambassador.
“One reason I enrolled in this graduate program was to understand how to merge with people of different cultures. When we stay in our own country, it is all about our people and a certain culture. Being in this program at NIU in another country, I get to experience a wide range of diversity and learn about other cultures,” Aratakatla said. “Even if I am not helping someone with an issue, I enjoy making conversation with them to understand how things were back in their country, understand their lifestyle and how they are living here. This has helped me grow as an individual and I am glad to be able to help others onboard into the university and help with the initial hurdles every international student faces coming into the United States.”
Aratakatla and his fellow ambassadors have assisted international students with a variety of issues including locating temporary accommodations, visa processing, enrollment timelines and finances.
Check out the full story in NIU Today.
