International Students Asset to College Community
Leigh Chamberlain
Issue date: 10/7/08 Section: On Campus
| |
|
While most CCC students reside in the United States, there are also a number from foreign countries. Some came to America for the first time when they enrolled at Clearwater; others are the children of full-time missionaries.
Sisters Lucy and Amanda Heinz, for example, are from Kazakhstan, where their parents have served as missionaries for the past decade. A junior English education major, Lucy had attended Clearwater for two years before her sister arrived at CCC this fall.
"It's nice to have my sister here," Lucy said. "We're roommates. It's great to live with someone you know really well. Back in Kazakhstan, our family was a ministry team, and there were no other missionaries near us. Since we grew close together, it was hard to leave my family when I came to college."
From the two sisters, several students have learned phrases in Kazak such as "Hi, how are you?" and "I'm doing well, thanks."
Other international students are also a valuable asset and a blessing to the Clearwater campus. Irma Torres, a junior elementary education major, moved from Mexico to Florida when she was a young child. Every weekend, she goes back to her home in Lakeland, Florida, to visit her family and attend her Spanish-speaking home church.
As a student worker in the Admissions Office, Irma says she often takes calls from potential students who speak Spanish. Her coworkers say that her sweet spirit and helpfulness are noticed by those with whom she speaks on the phone.
Ethnicities and languages represented at Clearwater are diverse. Since one of the requirements for attending the school is a profession of faith in Christ, the Body of Christ is demonstrated on the CCC campus through the differences among the students who are working together to serve the Lord.
Be the first to comment on this story