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On Friday, Aug. 30, the International Student Association (ISA), in collaboration with Pitt Pals, welcomed Pitt State’s new international students with a pizza party.
The point of this party was to not only welcome the international students, but also give them a chance to get to know all of the people within the ISA and Pitt Pals.
One of the people behind this event was ISA’s president Milene Robinette, senior in finance and Spanish. Robinette says that with events like the welcome party, as well as the events they’ve held in past years creates a huge opportunity to really get to know other cultures.
“I think we have a really great opportunity and resource with international students that are willing to share their first-hand experience,” Robinette said. “We are very lucky to have a big international association and community willing to share.”
At this party students from a variety of different cultures got the chance to mingle and make new friends while getting a chance to play games and listen to music. One of Pitt State’s new international students that got a chance to meet some new people through this party was senior in tourism and recreation management Ling Yu Haung. Haung is a student from Taiwan and said that, because her school had a partnership with Pitt State, it created an opportunity for her to come here to Pitt.
According to Haung, Pitt Pals has given her a chance to become more comfortable in getting out of her comfort zone because she and her Pitt Pal get to discuss topics such as culture-shock. Haung said that her Pitt Pal family made sure to keep talking to her and make her feel at home.
“When I was home, I told myself that I wanted to go to a foreign country to study because it would put me out of my comfort-zone,” Haung said.
Since arriving here at Pitt State, Haung said she has been enjoying the events so far.
“I went to the Foam and Powder Paint Party and really liked it,” Haung said.
Haung says that in her two semesters here she hopes to attend more events.
“I hope to go to as many activities as I can because back home I don’t (get) that much of a chance to go to activities,” Haung said.
At this party, there was a chance for some of the Pitt Pals to share their experiences with one another and talk about why they are a part of the Pitt Pals program. One of the Pitt Pals in attendance was Anna Bryant, freshman in pre-law and creative writing.
Bryant is currently a Pitt Pal to two South Korean students and looks forward to becoming closer with them throughout her college career.
“I’ve always been interested in foreign cultures and with me being a political science major, foreign relations is definitely something I’m interested in and want to pursue in the future”.
