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International View


Opportunities abound for international students at Eastern


of immigrants to Ellis Island over a century ago is bringing thousands of international students to Eastern Michigan University today, contributing to the campus’s rich cultural diversity.


T Ellis Island is a former im-


migration processing station in New York Harbor that celebrates its 120th anniversary this year, and while Eastern’s Office of International Studies (OIS) is not nearly that old, it also offers many students their first glimpse of America. “Over 1,000 students from 87


countries are studying at Eastern this semester; some are seeing America for the first time,” says Esther Gunel, director of the Office of International Students. Like Ellis Island, Eastern


represents a chance for international students to broaden their cultural horizons and reap opportunities not available in their homelands, among other benefits. Unlike Ellis Island, the OIS provides ongoing support for everything from processing immigration documents to personal issues.


OIS central point of contact “We hold their hands, but


not too tightly,” says Gunel, adding that the office serves


he same pioneering spirit that brought millions


Odai Khasawneh


as a central point of contact for needs big and small—even health concerns. Odai Khasawneh, 27, a


graduate student from Jordan, still chuckles when he recalls the health mystery the OIS helped him solve when he first came here in 2009. “I couldn’t figure out why I kept getting these bumps on my arm that itched. The OIS coordinated a visit with the campus health clinic and the nurse told me the bumps were mosquito bites, something we don’t get in Jordan,” he said. More importantly, the


OIS—and Eastern—are serving as a gateway to opportunity, said Khasawneh. “Here, professors treat students more like peers; there is more of an equal exchange of ideas,” he says, adding that Jordan also provides opportunities for graduate education, but a degree from the U.S.A. brings additional opportunities for advancement throughout the Arab peninsula—and the world. Khasawneh admitted that


he was hesitant to enroll in an American university at first. “I thought I would be hated as an Arab,” says the soft-spoken


Jordanian. But he was willing to give it a chance spurred by what he saw as “endless opportunities,” including scholarships and honor certifications not available in his homeland. When he arrived in 2009,


he was pleasantly surprised by the warm welcome and by the extent to which diversity thrived on campus. “In Jordan, diversity meant someone from Saudi Arabia visiting us. At Eastern, diversity means over 1,000 international students from 87 countries that range from Albania to Zimbabwe. Now that’s diversity!”


Doorway to advancement For Omar Binalshaikh, 21, of


Yemen, Eastern also represents a doorway to career advancement back home. “Graduates from American universities tend to have better positions and higher salaries,” says the junior finance major who plans to graduate a year from now.


Factoid


India China


Saudi Arabia South Korea Canada Japan


Taiwan


Netherlands and Nigeria Germany, Thailand, Yemen


It is a sentiment that many


early immigrants could have identified with, says Elizabeth Oravetz, public relations coordinator for the Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, adding that Ellis Island was often referred to as “the golden door.” The Foundation is a non-profit organization created in 1982 to raise funds for and oversee historic restorations of the beloved American icon. “The immigration process


was hardly a romantic experience, but for those allowed to enter America, Ellis Island was referred to as ‘The Island of Hope,’” adds Barry Moreno, historian at the Ellis Island Immigration Museum. Khasawneh can relate to


that. “My hope for a brighter future is unfolding. A year from now I hope to get my PhD in information technology. Eastern and the OIS are helping to make that possible.” 3


—Linda Hass


Students come from all over the world to attend EMU. Here are the top 10 countries:


285 204 142 67 53 26 14 9 8


Source: Eastern Michigan University Office of International Students.


10 Eastern | WINTER 2012


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