International Student Ambassador Volunteer Program

The International Student Ambassadors (ISA) at Bowling Green State University (BGSU) are a select group of knowledgeable, motivated, and enthusiastic international student leaders that assist International Programs & Partnerships in promoting BGSU and advocating for international student engagement on campus and in the greater Bowling Green community. The ISA volunteers participate in events involving students, faculty, high-level administrators, and national and local community members.

Benefits

The benefits of being an ISA at BGSU include:

interacting with International Programs & Partnerships leadership
interacting with BGSU leadership and faculty
interacting with BGSU student groups
completing training in areas such as BGSU programs, application and admission processes, campus community, and digital and face-to face communication
expanding your network of professionals by meeting prominent BGSU alumni, community members and international officials
“giving back” to the community and the University and helping recruit future international students to BGSU
participating in the International Student Orientation program to mentor and guide new students
receiving a certificate of participation and letter from International Programs & Partnerships
An ISA volunteer who has successfully fulfilled his/her duties and continues as a BGSU student but chooses not to reapply as an ambassador may be selected as an Honorary International Student Ambassador by the decision of International Programs & Partnerships staff.

Criteria

ISA volunteers must meet the following criteria:

Be a student in good academic and immigration standing at BGSU
Be available for various campus and community events throughout the year
Be knowledgeable about his/her home country
Possess a high level of enthusiasm for BGSU
Demonstrate motivation
Successfully complete ISA training
Be outgoing and involved in campus activities
Submit the following information about yourself to be used in marketing materials and at events: Your full name
- Class level/student type
- Major/degree program
- Hometown and country
- Languages that you speak
- Activities and honors
- Work experience
- Fun fact about you
- What activities are you involved in?
- Why did you want to be an International Student Ambassador?
- Favorite BGSU Memory

Application

The application process for ISA volunteers is selective and completed during the spring semester for a term that begins the subsequent academic year. Ambassadors serve one-year terms and are welcome to reapply for additional terms throughout their degree program at BGSU. The selection committee for ambassadors will be comprised of International Programs & Partnerships staff, as well as one outgoing ISA who is selected from the current ISA volunteers. Students who apply but are not selected are encouraged to participate as a member of the World Student Association (WSA), a student group devoted to promoting cultural exchange and awareness at BGSU. Experience with WSA or other student organizations can improve a student’s chances of being selected in the future as an ISA.

Expectations

ISA volunteers are expected to attend monthly meetings with the International Programs & Partnerships advisor, as well as participate in the orientation program for new students each fall and spring semester. In addition, ISAs will attend a minimum of two events affiliated with International Programs & Partnership, and attend events such as the annual International Dinner and others upon invitation by International Programs & Partnerships.

Meet our Ambassadors

Contact an ambassador at ambassadors@bgsu.edu. As these students are active with their studies and extracurricular activities, please allow at least two business days for them to reply. Thank you!

Ask Us!

The application is now open!

Applications need to be submitted by Sunday, March 1st at 11:59pm in Presence.

https://bgsu.presence.io/form/international-student-ambassador-volunteer-program-application.

If you have questions before applying, there will be one drop-in informational session on Friday, February 28th from 4:30-5:30 PM in 310 University Hall.

Ayumi Sasaki

Hometown and home country: Montreal, Canada
Major: Accounting
Level: Junior Undergraduate
Languages you speak: Japanese, French and English

Activities and honors: : I was part of the We Are One Team player program for diversity and inclusive leadership. I was selected for membership of the National College Athlete Honor Society for outstanding grades and athletic results. I was named Doubles Team of the Week by the Mid-American Conference 4 times.

Work experience: I am an International Student Ambassador and I was also an accounting and statistics tutor at the student-athlete services.

Fun fact about you: I speak three languages: French, Japanese, and English. Before playing tennis, I did figure skating for almost 2 years.

What activities are you involved in: I am a part of the BGSU women's tennis team. We have players and coaches from nine different countries, making us the most diverse team in BGSU athletics.

Why did you want to be an International Student Ambassador: I wanted to come back to be an International Student Ambassador because I want to help current and new international students to adjust and feel like BGSU is their second home. When I came to BGSU as a 17 years old international student, I was worried and scared but the International Services helped me a lot in adjusting to this new college life. I want to give back by welcoming the newcomers and helping them have a wonderful experience, here in BGSU.

Favorite BGSU Memory: First week of international students where I met a lot of friends and best friends. I love going to athletic events and show my support by wearing BGSU colors. Most of the best memories are with my tennis team!

Fatikha Khasanova

Hometown and home country: Kazan, Russia
Major: International Education, MACIE
Level: Masters
Languages that you speak: Tatar, Russian, English

Activities and honors: I like reading and walking in the parks, and having tea parties 😊 I am a Fulbright Scholarship student.

Work experience: 3+ years of working as an ESL Teacher in Grammar Schools in Kazan

Fun fact about you: I never exercise

What activities are you involved in? MSA, and I try to volunteer and participate in community-organized events as well.

Why did you want to be an International Student Ambassador? To be able to build cultural bridges between BGSU international students and community

Favorite BGSU Memory: My friend Humay.

Jasper Tenga

Hometown and home country: Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania
Major: Computer Science
Level: Undergraduate
Languages that you speak -Swahili, English (Intermediate Spanish)

Activities and honors: -BGSU men's club soccer

Work experience -Learning Commons

Fun fact about you -One leg is longer than the other

What activities are you involved in -International Student Ambassador

Why did you want to be an International Student Ambassador -I wanted to be an International Student Ambassador in order to help the incoming -International students feel at home away from home and help with activities involving International student.

Favorite BGSU Memory- Going on a trip planned by International Programs and Partnership to a Cleveland Cavaliers game with friends on Easter Sunday

Yukia Takahashi

Hometown and home country: Tokyo, Japan
Major: Exercise Science
Level: Undergrad
Languages you speak: Japanese and English

Work experience: I have worked as a swimming coach assistant/ weight lifting instructor at a sports gym in Japan.

Fun fact about you: I have lived half my life in Australia, and I have an Australian Accent.

What activities are you involved in? I am a member of a fraternity “Sigma Phi Epsilon” and love going to the Recreational center.

Why did you want to be an International Student Ambassador? Travelling to a place 10-15 hours away from home, it can be stressful, nervous and even scary. I still remember the first day I got here, I felt alone and isolated until I met the Ambassadors. I wanted to become an ISA, as I know how students feel when they first travel to a new place. I would like to guide them in the right track to have a wonderful experience at BGSU. The ISA have also helped me, and now it is time for me to repay the help I got!!!!!!

Favorite BGSU Memory: I had a wonderful time spending holidays with my friends I met at the Student Orientation. A diverse group from France, Norway, Belgium, Austria and Netherlands, we travelled around several place from Chicago, New Orleans and even Niagara Falls. A weird group but had a great time! Hope to meet them soon!!

Muhammed Syed

Hometown and home country: Hyderabad, India
Major: Computer science with data science
Level: Undergraduate
Languages that you speak: English, Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Arabic

Activities and honors: General Secretariat of Muslim Student Association, Member of SMART and of course International Student Ambassador (Thank you).

Fun fact about you: I was born in Saudi Arabia, I used to be a big fan of the generation Z anime culture.

Work experience: I am a Resident Adviser, so if you ask me any questions related to housing and dining I would be able to help you with ease.

Why did you want to be an International Student Ambassador: I wanted to be an International Student Ambassador because I wanted to help new International undergraduate students know their surroundings and help them out until they feel comfortable.

Favorite BGSU Memory: My incoming Freshman Orientation, was the best memory I had and also our organization’s events were very memorable.

Carren Burkey

Hometown and home country: Kisii, Kenya
Major: Biological Sciences
Level: Graduate
Languages I speak: Kisii, Kiswahili, and English

Activities: I am currently involved in Kids Tech University and STEM in the park. Food for body, mind, & soul, St. John's Bridges.

Work experience: Quality assurance and Microbiology technician, Professional writer, Graduate teaching assistant and mentor.

Fun fact about me: I can chop vegetables without looking and I can dance as well

Why I wanted to be an international student ambassador: First, I believe rendering service is noble. I wanted to be an international student ambassador to help new international students acclimate to the new environment and feel at home just as I was helped as well.

Favorite BGSU memory: Fall 2018 international student orientation which was amazing and experiencing snow for the first time.

Hiu Yan (Crystal) Lau

Hometown and home country: Hong Kong
Major: Speech-Language Pathology
Level: Second-year Graduate student
Languages that you speak: Cantonese, Mandarin, English, German, French

Activities: International Student Ambassador, Student National Association of Teachers of Singing, World Voice Day

Honor: Winifred O. Stone Graduate Student Award (Graduate College), Finalist in Graduate Student Senate 2019 Outstanding International Student Award, Scholarship Singer at the First United Methodist Church, bowling green

Work experience: Graduate Research Assistant at the Voice Laboratory, Graduate Student Clinician, Group Fitness Instructor (Zumba, Older Adult Aqua Dance) at the Student Recreational Center

Fun fact about you: I can say "I love you" in more than 5 languages!

What activities are you involved in: Previously, I was also involved in the BGSU Opera Theater and the Collegiate Chorale.

Why did you want to be an International Student Ambassador? I enjoy helping others because I love seeing their smiles after they receive the assistance they needed. That goes the same for international Students. In my past two years as an Ambassador, I witnessed international students becoming successful on- and off- campus; some of them even returned to join our Ambassador team! That motivates me to think in the shoes of the new students, as well as to help them broaden their cultural perspectives.

Favorite BGSU Memory: Honestly I have a lot of them, but my absolute favorite is the mini-Zumba class I led in 2018's Fall Orientation! Back then, I just received my Zumba Instructor in July, and I had to lead hundreds of students as an energizer early in the morning. It was nerve-wracking, but I loved the incoming students' energy so much! One thing led to another, and I led a full 50-minute Zumba session just for the international students in April 2019.

Wen-Tung Wu (Steven)

Hometown and home country: Taichung, Taiwan
Major: Marketing major and AMPD and Entrepreneurship Minor
Level: Undergraduate
Languages that you speak: Mandarin and English

Activities and honors: World Student Association. International Dinner for 350 guests (two years)

Work experience - Internship in AQI as a Sale representative

Fun fact about you - Tony Stark (Iron Man) is my favorite hero character.

What activities are you involved in? - I'm the current vice president of the World Student Association and involved with WSA for around 2 years.

Why did you want to be an International Student Ambassador? - As an international student in the Schmidthorst College of Business, I can understand the difficulty for international students to get more involved with the business world. I want to be a leader for them and make the transition into the academic world of the United States simpler.

Favorite BGSU Memory - being one of the project managers for 2018 international dinner. We have to create a celebration for domestic students and international students. Also, seeing people's smile when they attended our event.

Isabel Souza

Hometown and home country: Joao Pessoa, Capital of the State of Paraiba, Brazil
Major: Architecture
Level: Graduate
Languages you speak: Portuguese (Brazilian Portuguese) and English (Wanting to learn Spanish, French and Italian)

Honors - BSMP - Brazilian Scientific Mobility Program Scholarship Recipient (Study Abroad Program Sponsored by the Brazilian Government in Partnership with the Institute of International Education IIE) 2014-2015.

Activities - I love to play the guitar and sing, and I am trying to learn how to play the ukulele. I am a huge Marvel, Star Wars and Musicals fan, therefore I love watching movies. I try to go to the Gym at least 3 times every week to keep my body and mind health. I also try to participate in WSA meetings as much as I can, and I go to Masses at the St. Thomas More Catholic Church on Campus.

Work Experience - I have been working with Architecture and Interior Design for almost 8 years now. I have worked on firms in Brazil, and I worked in New York City at an Interior Design Firm in 2015. Last year before moving to BGSU for my Masters I was working at an Architecture firm as the Designer responsible for the Interior Design projects.

Fun fact about me - I love to talk. I can start conversations at the most random places you could ever imagine. I love NYC and I wish to live there in the future (I am a city girl).

Why did you want to be an International Student Ambassador - I aspire to be a familiar and friendly face to all international students, new and current ones. I wish to help them to feel welcomed and home the way I feel here. I want to give back to BGSU and Bowling Green community all the help I have been given. And I also wish to work with the International Programs and Partnerships who also has assisted me in every possible way.

Favorite BGSU Memory - It is hard to choose just one memory especially because I have been in BGSU before, as an exchange student, and back there I had so many special moments. But I would say that my first homecoming, in 2014 is something that I always remember with a smile on my face. Another favorite and memorable moment was when I set feet on Campus again, back on Fall 2018. On the day I thought about all the memories I built here before, and I thought about the ones I am building now.

Naveen Kumar

Hometown and home country: India
Major: Mechatronics Engineering Technology
Level: Undergraduate
Languages you speak: English, Hindi, Punjabi

Activities and honors- Served as college of technology ambassador in USG, tech ambassador of Mechatronics Engineering Dept.

Work experience- worked as technician, instructor and now working as intern in R&D department Betco. Corp

Fun fact about you- I am Designated driver

What activities are you involved in? Cultural activities, social get together, campus fair

Why did you want to be an International Student Ambassador? - To be on platform where I can learn more and help more students.

Favorite BGSU Memory- Diwali Mela