Students Create Care Packages for Incoming International Students

 (Abilene, Texas) More than a dozen incoming international students will receive welcome packages assembled with care by HSU students and staff. 

A group including multicultural coordinator Yessenia Juarez, members of the International Student Fellowship, and Dean of Students Brian Dawson met last week to set up care packages for the 14 incoming international students arriving in the fall. Overall, HSU has more than 30 international students.

“I’m overjoyed at seeing the direction HSU is going with international students,” said Steven Barnas, an HSU alumnus and project coordinator for the Office of Global Engagement at HSU. “I saw it as just more than creating welcome baskets. This is just the first step for great things in the future. I’m glad to be a part of it and I’m excited for the incoming students!”

The laundry baskets were filled with toiletries, bedsheets, pillowcases, detergent, snacks, stationery and other items.

“We tried to think of items that students would need that would limit the space on their suitcase,” Juarez said. “We have to think that these students are coming from another country to live life in the United States. With that in mind, we created this list with items that would be useful as they get accustomed to living here away from their country or origin.”

The care packages are just the first of several ways HSU welcomes incoming international students. During orientation, students will be taken to the grocery store to buy other needed items.

“The goal is to welcome students to our campus,” said Dawson. “We started the process last year, and our hope would be to help anyone in transition which may include international students, foster youth, or students we know of in real need. We believe that hospitality is at the core of our mission and one of the ways that we can show Jesus best to those coming to HSU.”