Our host Dr. Bobby Fleischman is joined with Dr. Tara Braun, Jayden Anderson and Pedro Saltini as they talk about International Education and the success the program has seen in ferris.
Dr. Tara Braun
The first guest on the show is Dr. Tara Braun, Executive Director of International Education here at Ferris State, as well as overseas offices dedicated to programs such as study abroad and international recruiting, as well as others.
The benefits of participating in International Programs are discussed first, and Dr. Braun points out that any involvement with the International Program, even just talking with international students, has many benefits: learning new languages and cultures, increasing worldview, and networking are the big three that are mentioned. With networking specifically, it’s brought up that networking in the International Program means you have the whole world to network with.
Later on, some of the events in the International Program are discussed. Dr. Braun talks about how recently, they took some international students to see how maple syrup is made, an experience that may help some international students feel more at home, and others to learn about something that they may have not known before. Events like these are a big part of the International Program, as they help to broaden cultural knowledge as well as simply being educational and fun.
Lastly, Dr. Braun is asked about her thoughts on the future of international education at Ferris State. Dr. Braun details how she hopes to see many more international students on campus, as well as grow the study abroad program. The study abroad program allows students to be able to truly experience different cultures and lifestyles by traveling across the world to study in a different country, so being able to expand and grow this program is an important goal to accomplish.
Jayden Anderson
Our second guest is Jayden Anderson is a senior at Ferris from Niles, Michigan who studied abroad in the Netherlands. Bobby starts by asking Jayden about his experience studying abroad and Jayden says that his experience was a bit unconventional. He talks about how on his first day in the Netherlands, he was robbed, but he didn’t want that to ruin his overall experience abroad. He went to the international office in the Netherlands and they found him a place to live. He also talks about how the Netherlands has a big housing crisis and it’s hard for people to find places to live.
Next Bobby asks Jayden about the food scene in the Netherlands; Jayden describes how bread is a big part of a lot of daily diets for the Dutch, to which Bobby then remarks about how Dutch people are still so thin. Jayden talks about how biking is a big part of how people get around in the Netherlands. They have almost like a highway system that Jayden says he had to adapt to by just kind of going at his own pace and remembering that the people around him are way better at it than him.
Jayden says he made a lot of friends while staying in the Netherlands, a lot of which were other international students from many other countries. He still stays in contact with some of them as he is a musician and his friends there helped him film a music video that is almost done. He is also working to get some of his work copyrighted.
Bobby asks Jayden why he came to Ferris, and he says it was because of the Music and Industry Management program, and how specialized it was for what he wanted to do. Jayden says he wants to be a booking agent so this program is perfect for him and it is the only one in Michigan.
Pedro Saltini
Being a bulldog in Big Rapids is great, but being a bulldog somewhere across the globe makes being a bulldog even cooler! Everywhere you go is bulldog country and Ferris State is proud to show that threw their international students such as Pedro Saltini from Brazil, that Ferris can be the school for anyone.
Pedro found Ferris through an internet search and decided it was the place for him. He was able to find the resources and help right for him to make it him to feel at home here in Big Rapids. Going to or from home especially internationally can be a scary thing, or even a culture shock when participating in new things, and Pedro leaves an example of that by telling his experience of walking through a corn maze for the first time, and other events that he participates in at Ferris with other students. Although unfamiliar places can be scary it is great to bring some of home with you to a new location, as Pedro talks about making traditional Brazilian cuisine. Pedro is participating in the economics and finance program, and with that not only has traveled to Big Rapids from Brazil, but also exploring multiple States in the U.S. If you’ve ever thought about becoming and international student, give it a try you never know what fun, friends, and new experiences you can make like Pedro.