By Mary Giovagnoli

On May 23, 2017, Representative Gerald Connolly (VA-11) urged his colleagues in the House to remember the important contributions of international students and scholars, noting that in these troubled times, we must redouble our efforts to be a welcoming nation. Using NAFSA’s International Student Economic Value Tool, Connolly shared that in his district alone, “4,978 international students and families contributed $137 million to our local... See More

By Kelly Zuniga

Volunteering at the NAFSA Annual Conference & Expo can be a truly rewarding experience! With the conference only a week away, some of you may be wondering if volunteering is right for you. In this post, I hope to motivate those of you who are on the fence to commit. Please kind in mind that the deadline to sign up online is Friday, May 26, which is coming up soon! Otherwise, you will need to stop by the Local Arrangements Team (LAT) office in Room 153A at the Los Angeles Convention Center to sign up. For those who have already committed, below you will find some helpful tips to make the most of your volunteering experience... See More

By Megan C. Lawther McCarthy

Before we know it, we will be packing up and heading to beautiful Los Angeles for the NAFSA 2017 Annual Conference & Expo. Whether this is your first conference or your 51st, there is something in the NAFSA 2017 Career Center (rooms 308 and 309 of the Los Angeles Convention Center) for you... See More

By Kelly Zuniga

This week, I feel inspired to write about two neighborhoods in Los Angeles that I’d like to explore more. Without further ado, let’s dive in. For a while now, Highland Park has been deemed the new Echo Park. That is to say, the neighborhood where hipsters and seekers of trendy restaurants flock to live and hang out on the... See More

By Jessica Sandberg

#YouAreWelcomeHere has ignited a spirit of professional collaboration and comradery more powerful than I’ve ever seen before in my career. Professionals in international education are sharing ideas, supporting each other’s initiatives and and coming together in a unified voice to affirm their commitment and caring for... See More

By Esther Brimmer

I am delighted to share the news that the Right Honourable Helen Clark, former administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), will be the keynote speaker at the NAFSA 2017 Pathways to Peace Luncheon on Friday, June 2, 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. I first met Helen Clark in 2009 as I was starting my job as the... See More

By Kelly Zuniga

Compared to other city centers, downtown Los Angeles (DTLA) struggles to be a pedestrian-friendly area. Sure, the sidewalks are wide and new businesses attract clientele to the area, but it can still feel like a ghost town sometimes. My hopes and dreams for Los Angeles include a continuously evolving and booming city center. That’s why this week I’m encouraging you to help revolutionize the vibe of DTLA by... See More

By Chanda Chen

In just a few weeks, we will kick off the NAFSA 2017 Annual Conference and Expo in Los Angeles. This year’s theme, "Expanding Community, Strengthening Connections," seems to be the perfect call to action for the challenges our field is facing during these extraordinary times. Our role as advocates for international education and as facilitators of intercultural understanding and global collaboration has become... See More

By Heather Stewart

Agree or disagree about what action the United States should take in Syria, but the U.S. missile attack on Syria last week must be a turning point in U.S. Syrian refugees policy. It stands to reason that if the President of the United States could not turn a blind eye to an indiscriminate chemical attack that killed scores of civilians in... See More

By Ellen Badger, Editor

This month’s Advice From The Field column is authored by Sue Marlay, past-coordinator of NAFSA’s Phase II Member Interest Group. Sue offers strategies for dealing with a difficult supervisor... See More