Culture Shock meetings aid international students
By Caroline Haviland
Culture Shock, a new group-based service held by the Rider Counseling Center, has been established for international students to adjust to their new environment at Rider.
The weekly meetings, held in the Center for Diversity and Inclusion on Tuesdays at noon, are targeted to foster a safe space for international students to connect, share experiences and build a sense of community, according to Counseling Center Doctoral Intern Elizabeth Gonzalez.
To build upon their preexisting identity based safe spaces such as Roy. G. Biv: LGBTQIA+ Support, the Counseling Center worked collaboratively to recognize any other student groups that needed support.
“[The Counseling Center] started this because we understand that the international student experience is different, and we wanted to have additional support for them,” said Gonzalez. “It can be hard and definitely a cultural shock when coming to the United States for college.”
As a former Venezuelan international student at Rider, Global Programs Manager Joana Pirela de De Gregorio said she understands how to personally relate to the students, viewing herself as a “mirror for the students” to walk them through their obstacles.
International students additionally receive immense support from the Office of International Education prior to and upon their arrival in the United States, said De Gregorio.
Before their departure, the OIE creates a WhatsApp group chat between the students to give them an opportunity to know one another, ensures all students know the essential items and documents to bring to the airport, and provides them with a ride to campus once they have landed.
The students’ first days at Rider are filled with legal paperwork, sharing meals together, meeting administrators and walking through campus to learn their way around. After these initial introductions, it is up to the students to make the effort to ask for help and foster connections in their time abroad.
“We tell students that if they need to talk to someone, we’re here. We call our office the home away from home,” said De Gregorio. “We have an open door policy, so if they really need help, one on one time with any of us, they can come in.”
De Gregorio said the new Culture Shock service is a reflection of the great relationship between the Counseling Center and the OIE, and the work the university puts into making sure people from different countries find another home in Lawrenceville.
Fall 2024 consisted of the largest international class the university had seen in over a decade, with 84 students from 30 countries, showcasing that “the OIE is doing something right,” De Gregorio said while patting herself on the back.
“This is a team work. … It’s us being open to diversity and people from other countries, to other languages,” said De Gregorio. “It’s so people feel safe and I think we create a safe space.”
