Vietnamese graduate student Daisy Le (’24 MBA) complemented her studies at Gonzaga with a practical job in marketing and leading a Lunar New Year festival to share her culture with the campus.
Her story is becoming more common among international students, thanks to the wrap-around support they receive and the encouragement to bring their whole selves to the experience.
It’s a win-win, because everyone benefits from thoughtful multicultural exchanges and shared experiences. Gonzaga’s Center for Global Engagement (CGE) rebounded from the pandemic with new leadership, plans and partners. Beyond the long-standing Gonzaga in Florence campus, other robust study abroad/away programs, and relocation of the English Language Center (ELC) from the College of Arts and Sciences to the CGE, an invigorated international student program is emerging.
The opportunity for students and families who recognize the value and choose to pursue international education as part of the university experience continues to grow.
Christina Isabelli, associate provost for Global Engagement, underscores the vital role CGE embraces to develop intercultural skills and provide international experiences for GU’s globally connected future leaders – in both conceptual and practical terms.
“Internationalization aligns closely with the Jesuit, Catholic, humanistic mission of GU, offering key impacts for all students,” Isabelli says.
“First, it makes our students competitive in careers because they can thrive in diverse and multicultural environments,” Isabelli shares. “Second, it equips our students with the intercultural competence to work effectively in teams that exist in today’s interconnected world – leveraging a diversity of perspectives and experience to achieve common goals.”
She says it also “empowers students to be responsible global citizens – addressing global challenges through effective communication, collaboration and understanding – work that can lead to positive social change.”
As the pandemic marked the end of a few longstanding partnerships, Gonzaga adopted new guidelines for international collaborations, enabling any community member to propose work with colleagues they have connections with globally. Additionally, GU’s alliance has grown with Shorelight, an international firm specializing in recruiting students around the world.
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