New International Students Club: Connecting Ambitious Students from Across the Globe

Donny Mutiva is a first-year Business, General student who started the new International Students Club at the College. Although he is from Minneapolis, Minnesota, he was inspired to start the group in the fall 2023 semester when he sensed cultural barriers may be preventing international students and others not originally from Philadelphia from accessing resources available at the College.  

Now the club meets every Wednesday to talk about their educational goals and work together to connect the dots between their shared experiences. 

Faculty advisor Chris Popescu is distinctly qualified to lead the group. An assistant professor of Finance and Economics at the College, he was once an international student himself, immigrating to the United States from Romania to attend college. His motivations and aspirations for the group are twofold: to help share helpful resources, including scholarship opportunities, with international students, and to create a space where lifelong friendships, like those he built in college, have the chance to form. 

With 17 student members from diverse corners of the world, including Ukraine, Morocco, Venezuela, Egypt, Jamaica, Romania, Tunisia, Albania, the Dominican Republic, Kenya, and Turkey, the club is rapidly becoming a hub for international students. Members engage in cultural exchange, offering a sense of belonging and comfort at the College. Shobi Wise, from Jamaica, highlighted the importance of shared experiences, stating, "Because we share a lot of the same [experiences], it's easier to collaborate and work together. It can be nice to be in a place where you don’t have to feel like you’re not American enough.” Shobi continued, explaining that sometimes it can be helpful to be around people who have that unique experience of “coming to a different country and having to establish everything here.”

The club serves as an invaluable resource for navigating the complexities of being an international student in the U.S. Melek Ercan, from Turkey, shared insights into the transfer and application process for international students, emphasizing the club's role in disseminating information about scholarships and opportunities. “When I first came here, I knew I wanted to go to university but I didn't know how to apply because in my country, you just take tests and [where you go to college] depends on your results. Here, you have to write essays, then you should be doing some extracurricular activities, and I didn't know anything about that. And also [applying for] scholarships, too. I didn't know anything about that. Whenever I saw Donny, he would say, ‘Oh, did you heard about the Catto Scholarship [or did you hear] about TRiO?’ He always wants people to know what is [available].” 

The International Students Club is also a place for students to practice their language skills among peers. “A lot of people in the club are recently done with the English as a Second Language (ESL) course sequence or still have classes left to take,” Donny explained. While students learn a lot in their English language classes, they say building the confidence to talk with strangers can be intimidating. 

While their experiences may be challenging at times, students in the International Students Club have found that connecting to their peers can make all the difference. Melek advises international students to “be social, because it’s the only way that you can connect to [new] resources and information, and don’t be afraid to ask about things you don’t know.”

The club is rapidly growing, and plans to add outings and events to its activities in the future, with a special emphasis on entrepreneurship. The club is open to international students and American citizens alike. Students interested in joining this club should contact Donny Mutiva at dmutiva1 [at] student.ccp.edu.