Imagine coming to an entirely new country to go to university, a place where you do not know anyone except the admissions employees who helped you through your admission process. That’s how many international students feel when they come to a new place. As an international student, I have felt this way, but I had my family with me during this entire process because they live in the United States with me. Not all the international students coming to Davis and Elkins College have the same privilege that I do. Under Lowe Del G. Aviles’s leadership, Davis and Elkins College introduced the host family program for international students.
International students make up roughly 10% of the campus; thus, she understood the need to install this program. Lowe states that she started the program in February 2011 due to personal experience witnessing the struggles that new international students had once they started college in America. It is often challenging for an international student to adjust due to the cultural shock, lack of parental guidance, and loss of their home. Lowe wanted these students to find a “home” far from their physical home. She also states that families help her create connections with the students and provide someone else other than her to count on.
I have heard Lowe Del G. Aviles talk about the host family program and its goals over the years. This program aims to connect with the local community and share cultural experiences through music, art, and celebration, among other things. The program also assists with airport pick-up; adapting to the community and location, culture, and climate; room and board for students who arrive before resident halls are open; and a warm welcome to the D&E campus and family.
Families create a connection with students not only by inviting them to meals but also by being there for them. They help the student to share their perspective of American culture and, at the same time, ask them to share theirs. An international student from Brazil, Bernando Ferreira-Rodrigues, is part of this program and shares his experience with it. Bernando states that his experience with this program has been unique. He quickly felt welcomed and very close to his host parents, having the same feeling he has while he is with his parents. He knows that he can count on them for anything. They were the first to know when an emergency happened, and they care about him without him being their actual son. He is glad that he is part of the program because it reminds him of home, and knowing that somebody is there for him is a great feeling that he never thought could happen in another country.
Bernando’s host family introduced him to the traditional and famous Forest Festival Celebration. They were very excited to share a little bit about their home with him, including a parade, a queen and princess, and many carnival attractions. Also, Bernando compared this with the world-renowned Carnival in Brazil. Carnival is similar to the Forest Festival because it has a parade and music. Still, Brazil takes it to another level. “Instead of having carnival attractions, they have several thousand people dancing, singing, organizing the event, and wearing extravagant costumes for this celebration,” Bernando said.
Over the years that this program has been introduced to students, host families, and Davis and College, it has been recognized as successful for international students to transition to the American college system, despite this community being relatively small compared to other schools. Still, it provides the same integration of all these cultures and the diversity that international students bring to this community. Students embrace their culture while being integrated into a new one and have people who care for them through this process.
Written by: Barbara Bernal
Bio: Barbara Bernal is an international student from Caracas, Venezuela. She is a junior at Davis and Elkins College studying Political Science, Criminology, and English (writing concentration). After 3 years in Florida, she came to West Virginia for college, and she’s excited to share her experience by being an international student in America.
If you would like to participate in this program, you can contact Lowe Del G. Aviles by email: avilesl@dewv.edu.
First of all, Barbra, great work! I loved reading about the host family program. My favorite part of the blog was the interview with a student who had a host family while he was a student at Davis and Elkins College. I grew up going to the Forest Festival every year and looking forward to the carnival there. I liked how you included how the definition of carnival here differs from the definition of carnival is for the student. I loved how it showed how he was learning about his host family’s cultures and traditions, and the host family was learning the tradition he had from Brazil. He not only learned things he might not have learned without having a host family, but the family was able to learn things from him that he would not have learned otherwise. It shows how the host family program is beneficial not only to the student but to everyone involved.
Hi Barbara! As a native to Elkins, I can’t imagine suddenly finding myself living in an unfamiliar place with a bunch of strangers. Since I have the privilege of not having to worry about this, I never considered what programs were available to make international students feel more welcome and comfortable with their new living situation. I personally do not know any families that participate in the program as host families, but I think that those families who do act as host families are incredibly compassionate and caring to open their home to students they don’t know. I think this program is a great one to include at D&E as there is such a large amount of international students making up the student population, and Elkins is likely very different from their own countries, just like you compared the forest festival to festivals in Brazil. Thank you for sharing the experience as it is one I have not experienced personally!