Inside the International Student Association
This organization is helping international students adjust to Clinton life.
While Mississippi College is home to thousands of local and regional students, the Clinton campus is also represented on a global stage. The Office of Global Education reports that 160 international students are enrolled at the university. These students from across the globe chose to pursue their education in a place that, to them, may feel like a different world.
The International Students Association (ISA) seeks to build community by connecting students from around the world. This student run organization exists to introduce the different cultures to the broader student body. Involvement is welcomed and encouraged by all students regardless of nationality.
ISA member Miana Rademeyer, a freshman studying social work, came to MC from South Africa. In fall of 2024, Miana left her town of Jeffrey’s Bay to undertake her academic journey here in Clinton — 8,750 miles away from home. Rademeyer’s story is similar to the 159 other international students yet uniquely different from each one.
While the freshman’s involvement in the ISA stems from her own internationality, she also recognizes the need for community and stability among other foreign students. “We [ISA] have an aspect of trying to make sure that the international students are adjusting to campus life,” Rademeyer said.
In order to accomplish this goal, the ISA puts on several events and seeks to provide important resources. Each fall, the association hosts their annual Celebration of Culture event. Students from different countries are invited to set up tables with different foods, artifacts, and other culturally significant items. During the 2024 event, the ISA estimated 14 countries were represented. While this event speaks to the ISA’s goal of introducing global culture to MC students, another event helps secure crucial resources.
Each spring the organization hosts a talent show fundraiser. Proceeds of this show go to the Office of Global Education (OGE), the primary department for assisting international students. These funds assist with the establishment of scholarships, and the provision of resources, like transportation.
“We [Office of Global Education] are an international office that works with international students to help them come to the United States and find Mississippi College as their home,” said Rachel Dusenberry, an operations coordinator for the OGE/International Institute.
Sofie Elenkov, another student in the ISA, is a sophomore in the Biology Pre-med program. While Elenkov comes from a Bulgarian background, she was born and raised here in Mississippi.
“ISA is a group [for] students actually from different countries who come to study here, or students that maybe have a family background, like me, but were born in the United States, or even students that have no ties to other countries but they still want to see those [international] students succeed,” Elenkov said. “It can really be students from many backgrounds that work to address issues that arise from going to school far away from home.”
One of these issues that the ISA tries to address is transportation. The association is in the early stages of implementing a transportation assistance program that allows international students the opportunity to go to the grocery store. “The idea was to have a sign up sheet. We would have on Tuesdays, two shifts, where you can show up, we take you to Walmart and there would be somebody dropped off with you who can speak English really well and knows the area,” Rademeyer said. “The biggest thing right now is to get the word out about different events, transportation, and get people interested in joining the ISA and helping out.”
“If you see someone who you know to be an international student and it looks like they're struggling, help them out,” Elenkov suggested. “It can be a good thing to reach out.”
 | A guest post by
|