Alina Shaikh knew she needed a job. She didn’t know she also needed an advocate and a community.
A native of India, Shaikh enrolled at San Diego State University in fall 2022. Amid all the immigration paperwork and other demands of studying abroad, she missed the requirement to purchase health insurance. Without it, she might have to leave the country.
With deadlines looming and her financial anxiety growing, Shaikh’s parents paid for a policy. But she leaned on SDSU’s International Student Center (ISC) for help. She found an advocate in Alison Peppers, an ISC advisor who encouraged Shaikh to look for work and notified her of job openings.
“She has literally been the pillar of both my years here,” said Shaikh, a sophomore biology major who now works as an assistant document checker at the International Student Center. “She has supported me from the day I met her, and she is still my support.”
Navigating the twists and turns of studying abroad isn’t easy. The ISC serves as the “home away from home” for SDSU’s international students, helping them acclimate, get involved on campus, and handle the logistics of living in an unfamiliar country.
“We approach advising holistically,” said Ricky Paniagua, SDSU’s assistant director of International Student Services. “The advisors and staff really serve as advocates. We try to see all the different barriers that international students might have with access, or their ability to participate and fully become part of the community.”
ISC hosted a Jan. 16 orientation for the 125 new international students who enrolled this spring from about 30 countries, from Brazil to Hungary, Chile to Iran, and Sweden to Taiwan. Most are exchange scholars who typically stay for a semester or two but there’s also a cohort of degree-seeking undergraduate and graduate students who will study at SDSU longer.
SDSU had about 1,400 international students enrolled in the fall semester.
SDSU’s International Student Center helps international students navigate studying abroad.
Tuyen Le, a degree-seeking marketing major from Vietnam, tapped the ISC to help with her class schedule. She arrived at SDSU last semester and made friends with many exchange students who have returned to their countries. She came to the orientation to make new friends.
Jelena Trifkovic, an exchange student from Serbia, said studying in California has always been her dream. She previously enrolled in an exchange program in Madrid, and the contrasts among Serbia, Spain, and the U.S. are striking.
“Madrid was different, but this is completely different,” she said. “The city, you can’t walk anywhere. It is just a different mentality, a different culture.”
Wilfred Holloway, a mechanical engineering exchange student from Scotland, agreed that “certain things are very different, mostly the transit and the space. The scale of things is much bigger. But the interaction with people is similar. Everyone is very friendly.”
The ISC aims to smooth out the transition for SDSU’s international students. Advisors help manage visas, passports, and other essential documents. They offer guidance on affordable housing, setting up bank accounts and cellphone plans, navigating transportation, and finding employment.
They also help international students find a community and adjust to the unfamiliar U.S. education system, where teaching methods and expectations may seem perplexing compared to those back home.
“The advisors are very helpful,” said Shaikh. “It is a very diverse group. They can connect with you well. You can easily talk to them about anything.”
The ISC hosts events on most Fridays where international students can share their culture and food. One of the critical messages to international students is to get involved in the SDSU community as much as possible.
“You come to SDSU, and you join our classrooms. You join our clubs and organizations, and you really help internationalize our campus,” said Noah Hansen, senior director of International Affairs. “So, share your perspectives because it helps make the campus a better place.”
