Supporting International Students

Gloria Angel has spent her life fearlessly trying new things. Her experiences living and working in different countries and cultures, as well as recruiting and retaining international students at another local university, instilled in her empathy for those far from home - particularly for students.

“As Villanova faculty and students travel the globe, they connect with our international alums whenever possible. While they are at school, we are helping to build the foundation of what we hope to be a long and mutually beneficial relationship. And it does not stop there. The Moran Center for Global Leadership is launching a new initiative for international alumni engagement to help deepen those ties.” - Gloria Angel

When she came to Villanova in 2018 as the inaugural program administrator for the Elenore and Robert F. Moran Sr. Center for Global Leadership (MCGL), her first thought was, “How can I continue to work with international students?” With the support and active encouragement of her boss, MCGL Director Kim Cahill, Angel found her way. After joining the International Student Professional Development (ISPD) committee, a group of dedicated Villanova staff and faculty committed to international students, Angel reached out to the students to understand what challenges they faced at Villanova.

They told Angel about their difficulties finding meals when the campus is closed. On-campus food service and meal plans are suspended during breaks. For many international students, this is an unforeseen experience.

Although classes are on hiatus during breaks, the administrative offices are still open. With funding from MCGL, Angel organized the first International Student Community Luncheon during the fall 2019 break, which attracted international students from VSB, CLAS, and COE. VSB faculty and staff working during the break were invited to join the luncheon and engage with international students.

In Spring 2020, Angel organized an ISPD subcommittee–which included Melanie Menkevich, a global programs specialist, and Fatima Rezaei ‘19 MPA, assistant director, Graduate Studies, both from CLAS–to expand the opportunity across campus. Together they secured sponsorships from the VSB and CLAS Offices of the Dean, Undergraduate, and Graduate Admission offices of CLAS, the Office of Education Abroad, the Center for Research and Fellowships, Campus Ministry, and Catholic Relief Services, enabling them to hold not one but four luncheons at different locations across campus, attracting three times the number of students attending the first event. Students were able to network and form relationships across campus while learning about post-grad fellowships, graduate programs, and professional development resources.

Just after the Spring 2020 luncheons took place, the campus was shut down due to COVID-19, stranding 40 international students in the dorms.

The connections formed during those communal meals served as a valuable resource and helped the students to organize community trips for groceries. In addition, the ISPD committee held twice weekly virtual Tea and Talk sessions over Zoom so these students could maintain a connection with each other and the rest of the campus community.

Angel looks forward to the day when it is possible to gather in person but is not waiting until then, noting that the ISPD committee held Zoom networking panel discussions in the fall.

Originally published in the Spring 2021 Issue of Villanova Business magazine.