Autumn Fest builds global community through holiday traditions
November 11, 2024UNC Global Affairs
Every year, ISSS hosts Autumn Fest in the FedEx Global Education Center to introduce Carolina's international students and scholars, and their friends and families, to fall holiday traditions.
On Wednesday, Oct. 23, more than 180 Tar Heels gathered in the FedEx Global Education Center to learn about Halloween and Thanksgiving, and to consume all things pumpkin-flavored. Carolina’s International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) hosts the annual Autumn Fest for the University’s international students and scholars, and their friends and families, as well as the wider University community.
For many international students and scholars, coming to a university in the U.S. is complicated, and ISSS serves Carolina’s international community by helping students and scholars, and their families, navigate health care, housing, banking and other services that are different in the U.S. than in their home countries. ISSS is the only office at UNC-Chapel Hill for advising students and scholars about the immigration process and for issuing the documents needed for student and scholar visas. But they also help create a sense of belonging for Carolina’s international community through programs and events like Autumn Fest, which is open to the entire campus.
Ioana Costant, director of ISSS, said the team’s extensive expertise in immigration law and compliance is essential for a leading public research university like Carolina. Each ISSS team member is federally authorized to manage immigration benefits, which requires careful adherence to federal regulations, laws and requirements.
“Our work enables the University to welcome and retain the best students, scholars and faculty worldwide,” Costant said.
There are more than 4,100 international students and scholars at Carolina from more than 100 countries, making Carolina a truly world-class institution. Most are graduate students and scholars, and they contribute to Carolina’s leading edge in research and academics, as well as the region’s rapidly growing economy. For example, from 2023-2024, international students enrolled in North Carolina colleges and universities contributed $914.5 million to the state’s economy. Without the familiar sources of support back home, though, forming a new community at Carolina can be daunting.
“The most significant challenge I faced coming here was having to rebuild a support network, as I did not know anyone in North Carolina,” Yu Lee An, a fourth-year Ph.D. student from New Zealand, said.
Autumn Fest is one of more than 60 events ISSS hosts each academic year to share information with international students and scholars, support their adjustment to campus and connect them with peers on campus. At this event guests enjoyed mashed potatoes, collard greens, turkey and pumpkin pie. They also played games, made crafts and got to know each other.
“Beyond immigration support, ISSS is committed to helping international students and scholars adjust to life in the U.S. through programs and events that foster community, provide cultural insight and facilitate a sense of belonging,” Costant said.
According to An, who attends Autumn Fest every year — as well as other ISSS events, including watch parties, UNC Athletics games, board game nights and holiday potlucks — ISSS is one of a few departments on campus that has helped her form a supportive community in Chapel Hill.
“The Global Grads, Student Success and ISSS are my communities and my whanau — a Māori word for family,” An said. “Because of ISSS, I have gotten to know many other students and built friendships that will last for many years to come. [They] have supported us beyond simply providing a community in which we can thrive. They care for us.”
To learn more about Carolina’s vibrant international community or the services ISSS provides, visit their website.