Finding Meaning in the Everyday

Tucked into the far west corner of New York state lies the small city of Jamestown. Heading south from Buffalo, the city lights give way to snow-covered fields and hibernating rows of grapevines. The lake-effect snow whirls in snow devils, reminding one of a well-shaken snow globe. In the northernmost reach of Appalachia, Jamestown’s dwindling industry presence reveals a town that time forgot.
Surprisingly, it was here, in this unassuming upstate town, that I found my passion for international education. As the newly hired director of global learning at SUNY-Jamestown Community College, I was challenged to grow an international education program for international student enrollment and study abroad programs.
I knew the challenge before me. Recruiting and retaining international students to lesser-known rural areas and smaller schools isn’t always easy. Often, the allure of city life in Miami or New York City overshadows the appeal of small-town community and affordable tuition. So, I set a goal to build an international student community, a place where students felt welcomed and cared for with small group programs and opportunities to connect to the rest of the college and the greater community of Jamestown. Not only would this community be known for caring and connecting, it would also be known for challenging. We would spend time with each student, getting to know their goals and roadblocks and empowering them to achieve their objectives.
So, I set a goal to build an international student community, a place where students felt welcomed and cared for with small group programs and opportunities to connect to the rest of the college and the greater community of Jamestown.
Our community took time to build. It took time to create and share the vision and leverage key stakeholders at the college and within the community. We applied for grant funding and various J-1 exchange programs. We took time to foster meaningful conversations and connections with prospective and current students. Slowly and collaboratively, we built the international student program.
Moments of Shared Connection
One of my favorite events that we hosted was an annual Thanksgiving dinner for the international student community. For this tradition, international students, staff, and professors would gather together to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal and celebrate gratitude. As families often do, we would take turns sharing something we were thankful for in our lives.
One student shared he was thankful for the trip we had recently taken to a local polling place on Election Day. He had not yet experienced voting in his country and was currently unable to vote there. For him, having the opportunity to witness democracy was meaningful and insightful.
For another, she was thankful for her scholarship program. It had been exceedingly difficult to transfer money from her home country to the United States for school. She was thankful for the additional scholarship funds and the staff from the college business office who worked to ensure her funds were received and applied directly to her account. Without this help, she could not have pursued her degree and dream in the United States.
It was in these small moments, these moments of shared connection and grassroots diplomacy, that my career as an international educator was shaped and reaffirmed.
Another student shared his experience of having a serious medical issue within a month of arriving in the United States. He was thankful for the global learning staff and the families from the local Islamic faith center who took turns at the hospital overnight, visiting, praying, and keeping watch over him.
To call the realization that I had during this simple exercise “rewarding” would be an understatement. It was during this sharing when I realized the true impact of my work in international education. I also realized that it had not been one particular moment but a series of choices and actions that had fostered this amazing international community. The community was built through smiles, kind words, a shared cup of coffee, and time taken for conversations. It was about the caring, connecting, and challenging that happened along the way. It was in these small moments, these moments of shared connection and grassroots diplomacy, that my career as an international educator was shaped and reaffirmed.
Experiences like these remind me why I entered the field and why I am so proud to continue in our invaluable work today. It truly is our everyday interactions with students, our attention to regulatory issues, and our sustained advocacy for international student mobility and community that define our work and provide hope for a brighter future. •
Jennifer Douglas is an assistant director in the International Students and Scholars Office at Columbia University.
About International Educator
International Educator is NAFSA’s flagship publication and has been published continually since 1990. As a record of the association and the field of international education, IE includes articles on a variety of topics, trends, and issues facing NAFSA members and their work.
From in-depth features to interviews with thought leaders and columns tailored to NAFSA’s knowledge communities, IE provides must-read context and analysis to those working around the globe to advance international education and exchange.
About NAFSA
NAFSA: Association of International Educators is the world's largest nonprofit association dedicated to international education and exchange. NAFSA serves the needs of more than 10,000 members and international educators worldwide at more than 3,500 institutions, in over 150 countries.
NAFSA membership provides you with unmatched access to best-in-class programs, critical updates, and resources to professionalize your practice. Members gain unrivaled opportunities to partner with experienced international education leaders.