Seven new international graduate assistants at Northern Michigan University
This school year, Northern Michigan University is home to 88 international students, among the highest NMU has ever had. Seven of those students are serving as graduate assistants.
Northern Michigan University, located in Marquette, Michigan, welcomed 40 new international students at the beginning of the fall semester, bringing the total number of international students on campus to 88.
These international students all bring very welcome diversity and new perspectives to the campus. The graduate assistant students in particular bolster these new perspectives as they are working alongside faculty in various departments.
One of these graduate assistants, Alanis Obando, who is from Nicaragua, is a graduate assistant in the Social Work department.
In an article on Northern Michigan University’s website, Obando reflected on her position as a graduate assistant and a member of the Northern Michigan University community, saying, “All of the people in Social Work have been so nice. I'm being mentored by Sarah Carlson right now, and she's been really good as well. She treats me very respectfully and always makes sure I'm doing okay. I'm grateful to have this opportunity to gain valuable work experience here, especially since I can't work at places off campus due to visa restrictions.”
Previous to becoming a graduate assistant at the university, Obando was a foreign exchange student on campus in 2019, and initially had a difficult time adjusting to life in Michigan’s upper peninsula. The cultural differences and language were both issues for her at first. When her visa expired, she returned to Nicaragua, but decided to come back to Northern Michigan University when the time came for her to pursue her master’s degree in business administration.
She has found a home on the campus this time around. Obando said, “The College of Graduate Studies and Research has been wonderful. I think they really care about their postgraduate students, and that they have a good experience and succeed in their personal and professional goals. And then, of course, I like to call the people at the International Programs office family. They always have answers for any questions or problems international students have, and if not, they will work to find an answer and give you one.”
The school is pleased to have such a large number of international students on campus this year. In addition to just learning on campus, the school finds that the students bring additional perspectives and fresh ideas when working as graduate assistants, too.
Ellen Doan, who is the Coordinator of International Admissions & Student Services at Northern Michigan University, was quoted as saying, “I think what's really important for our office this year is changing the way people see the international students on campus, and that they are a bigger part of campus life. A lot of schools and faculty are happy to have them on campus, but may not consider their potential as a graduate assistant. We want to make sure that they're celebrated and show that they bring positive contributions to the university.”
“We want the perspective that international GAs bring to their departments, and to have them work with other students to make them feel more welcome. We typically have two or three international GAs, so it's nice to see there are now more actively involved,” added Director of Graduate Enrollment Management Janelle Taylor.
The six other graduate assistants working at Northern Michigan University this year are Giuseppe Capell of Brazil, Rafaela Rafajlovska of Macedonia, George Mensah of Ghana, Jonas Vorbau of Germany, Rafia Farrukh Shamsi of Pakistan, and Diana Dzasezeva of Latvia.
For more information about Northern Michigan University, visit the school’s website.