EMPOWER and the Office of Student Government held a banquet on Friday evening, November 4th to honor international students at USC.

The lively affair included dinner, speakers and wonderful music by the Sabor Band and Mariachi Puebla. Speakers included Dr. Alejandro Bernal, Dr. Jorge Camacho, Dr. Ann Kingsolver and Teranni Randolph, President of Empower. Master of Social Work students, Vivian Castro and Veronica Castro, were also speakers and both received Special Recognition awards for their leadership and service to the University.

Faculty and staff from the College of Social Work received appreciation awards from the international students: Carole Crolley, Carol Gentry, Jim Ward, Dr. Pat Bank, and Dr. John McNutt.

Click here to see the photos.

by Carole Crolley

When I was young I dreamed of joining the Peace Corp, working in remote places all over the world, meeting people on every continent.

As life would have it, I fell in love with my high school sweetheart when I was eighteen years old. I married him when I was nineteen and I had my first of three babies when I was twenty. The minute my first child was born I knew that all the decisions for the rest of my life would have one focus – my children.

Then I was fifty and I looked around and saw that my children were grown. Because I was a good mother, they were strong and independent. And, I said to myself -- Now I can join the Peace Corp!

Just at that time my first of three grandchildren was born and I knew I did not want to miss even one of their birthdays. I knew that I would love nothing more than I love my summer vacations at the beach with my children and grandchildren. Once again, I was happily grounded in South Carolina.

Then I was sixty and I came to work at USC. The very first day I met a Korean student who worked in my office as a graduate assistant. I met his wife and his young son, who went to the same elementary school as my grandchildren. Very soon I found that there were a dozen Korean students in the Master of Social Work program. There were two students from Ghana and one from Nigeria. There were three students from India and a young man from Indonesia. I met this student’s mother when she came from Indonesia for his graduation. She brought me a present, the most beautiful, handmade sandals I have ever seen. She did not know a word of English and I could not understand her language either. But, when I said to her, “I love your son!” she understood what I meant.

Suddenly, I have friends from all over the world. I have a globe hanging from the ceiling in my office so that I can see where our international students come from. I know people from Sweden, Brazil, and the Virgin Islands. I have two girlfriends who are sisters from Ecuador and I know two other sisters from Venezuela. I know two young women from China and three from Japan. This year I can count over fifty people that I know who are from Korea!

After six years as the MSW Admissions Coordinator in the College of Social Work, I was honored last Friday night when the International Students gave me an award. The award says “in recognition for taking the time to make these students feel welcome.” I should be giving them an award. I want to thank them for choosing my hometown for their studies. Though they all made high scores on their TOEFL, I am quite certain that no one warned them that we South Carolinians talk funny and that it would be almost impossible for them to understand our southern brogue.

These courageous international students, who leave the comfort of their homes and travel half-way around the world to live and study in my hometown, have opened a window to the world for me. I now work with people from remote places all over the world and I have friends on every continent -- much like having my very own Peace Corp.