Beloit College is known for its dedication to building an internationally infused community, and that includes welcoming international students to campus.
In coming weeks, Beloiters have several chances to lend a hand to incoming international students, who will be arriving from all over the globe.
The first opportunity is a paid position for current students, as an airport greeter. Students will be paid an hourly rate and given a round-trip Van Galder bus ticket.
“Every year incoming international students tells us how comforting it was to be greeted at O'Hare Airport by a Beloit College student,” says Director of International Education Betsy Brewer. “Most arrive jet-lagged and excited, but also a bit frightened by the prospect of coming to an unknown place where they don't know a soul. The first encounter with a Beloit College student tells them that people are excited they are coming and want to get to know them.”
That first contact can make all the difference in a person’s experience of Beloit. “It may seem like a small thing to greet people at the airport and get them on to the Van Galder bus, but it is actually a huge contribution in helping international students begin to feel they belong at Beloit College,” Brewer says.
Another opportunity to get involved in Beloit’s international community is by serving as a host family. Students don’t live with their host families, but use the relationship to become more immersed in American culture, while sharing their own culture in turn through things like day trips and family dinners.
“Many remark that they learn as much or more from the students than the students learn from them. Plus, for those who have traveled overseas or who have children who have, hosting an international students is a way of repaying some of the kindnesses received abroad,” Brewer says.
One host parent commented that “Through our student, we've gotten to know other international students and the world feels like a much smaller and interesting place to be.”
To host a student:
If you are interested (or know of local families that are interested) in hosting a student, please contact Phyllis and Al Wendorf at wendorfa@hotmail.com. You can also call them at 608-632-3366.
To greet students at the airport:
Email International Student Advisor Josie Inaldo at inaldoj@beloit.edu, or call her at ext. 2659.