Club connects students from around the world

By Wesley Myers | October 14, 2019

Students from around the globe have gathered at CSU to form a community based in culture, diversity and connection.

The International Club was founded in 2017 and has grown into a place for students to meet with others from their own cultures and to broaden their horizons through meaningful interactions with students from other cultures. The club serves as a melting pot of ideas, with a typical meeting consisting of some fun activities and a time where an international student talks about their home country and their experiences growing up.

Terraince Holiday, secretary and a Charleston native, has been a part of the club almost since its foundation. He has been impacted by the club a great deal, as it has helped him grow.

“It’s been a very inviting club and a very informational club,” he said. “It’s broadened my thought process and my own life.”

The club provides valuable opportunities for international students to learn about culture in the United States. President of the International Club, Busola Oseni, experienced this firsthand when she came to CSU from Nigeria, finding opportunities to make connections with other students in an accepting environment.

“The International Club, I feel like, was very good for me to be in when I came to the U.S.,” Oseni said. “It explained to me what American culture was all about.”

This is all part of the vision established by Hope Ivanova, a native of Bulgaria, the club’s founder. She experienced the difficulty of being an international student, and she founded the club to create a positive environment for any students interested in learning about new cultures.

“As an international student, I experienced my own culture shock and cultural experiences, so I wanted others to feel welcomed,” said Ivanova.

Ivanova and Oseni are both adamant that the International Club is about much more than simply providing a safe place for international students. It is a place for all students to come together in appreciation of their diversity. Oseni stated that as the club has grown, their priority has been on teaching students that the club is open to everyone. “People thought it was just for international students, which is not true; it’s for everyone.” she said.

Wesley Myers is a student contributor for Marketing & Communication and is a senior majoring in communication studies.