As a Lebanese International student, I find that I have a lot in common with the international community here at the University of Windsor. I speak three languages fluently (Arabic, French, and English) and have a beginner-intermediate level of Spanish. I am hoping that will allow me to reach as many members of the community as possible in order to better understand their concerns and listen to their feedback. The experiences that have led me to where I am today, including the paperwork, housing, and insurance, among other necessities to study at UWindsor, allow me to understand the potential challenges that international students face. This also means that I am motivated to find resources for the international students on campus to the best of my ability, having needed themself at one point. Being in a foreign country isn’t always easy, and finding the right community to support and uplift you is crucial to ensure that you live up to your potential. Widening the accessibility of important tools designed to help international students is therefore essential to their success, and that is what I will strive to do. 

International students on campus encounter issues that other students might be unfamiliar with. The lack of information and support needed to successfully start the journey at UWindsor is sometimes demotivating and could hinder the success of International Students. Integration into university life can be challenging, especially when first arriving in a new country. Reaching out to international students and making the first step breaks the barrier of confusion and anxiety in that regard. While there are programs catered towards international students, there is still progress to be made. Mental health awareness for international students, especially those coming from areas of conflict, is important and helps build an inclusive and uplifting community for them. That being said, stronger engagement between domestic and international students via community events supports a successful integration process. Most International students start their journey at UWindsor looking for experiences they might not have back home. It is our job as a community to ensure that while not all their expectation are met, the ones that matter are.

Accountability, transparency, and fair decision-making come from well-engaging with the community. Communicating with students and explaining the work in progress ensures a strong trust between a representative and the community they strive to support. Nevertheless, it is important to diversify the pool from which the feedback is considered. The more students who participate in the decision-making process by sharing their thoughts and ideas, the more inclusive the steps taken are. International students come from a variety of backgrounds, but their goals for university life are mostly common: a successful journey to make the struggles along the way worth it. It is vital to cater to all different international students and work towards remediating all concerns, targeting not one but all members of the international community at UWindsor. Social media is a beneficial tool with the potential to share progress with a wider audience and gather feedback. When there is transparency and accessibility with regard to the decisions made, issues are swiftly resolved, and the community as a whole gets to participate in achieving individual successes that affect them. 

International students encounter multiple obstacles that domestic students may not face. These issues may come in different forms. The UWSA Board of Directors has the potential to help diversify the resources needed for students who might be having trouble asking for them. Resources for mental health, academic success, and social engagement lead to a drastic improvement in the experience of international students at UWindsor. When foreign students feel comfortable and supported in their environment on campus, they are motivated to better themselves, which results in an overall successful academic journey. Partaking in the work necessary to help achieve this is an important matter to me as an international student because I understand the nature of the obstacles faced by the community. I am passionate about helping with the development of a more ambitious, supportive, and uplifting system to help international students fulfill their potential and hopefully experience the journey they were hoping for when they decided to travel to Canada and study at UWindsor.