It is great to now be on staff for ISI but what does Campus Staff really do? Primarily, to partner with the university and local churches to meet the pressing needs of international students while they are here in the US. What are their pressing needs? To be welcomed when they arrive here and help them to get settled. Some need help before they arrive in choosing a school. No matter how much they prepared, there is quite a culture shock when they arrive and they need help with the basic skills of surviving in the US. Many need help with their visa's while they are here- keeping them current or extending them, if necessary. Many will also need help applying and preparing for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) as required by the university they are attending. They all need help with their academics, especially in how to succeed in our educational system. Others are here not just for their academic education but their professional development so that they can return as leaders in their discipline in a global economy. This means they need coaching as professionals and leaders in their career from a US perspective. Finally, they need help in returning home. Just as there was a big culture shock coming here, they face another culture shock going home. They have changed considerably, their friends and family have changed, and perhaps there have been political, business and/or environmental changes that have drastically changed their familiar home. They need to be prepared to address those significant re-entry changes as well, Those are not all of their needs but you can see those are enough to keep all the Campus Staff very busy. Of course, embedded in these needs is their most pressing need of all- to hear about a lovesick Father who anxiously and constantly awaits and watches for His wayward son or daughter to return home to Him so He can wipe away their shame and celebrate their new life.
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AuthorErv Thomas is married with two children and is a Mechanical Engineer. Archives
March 2023
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