Citrus College introduced its first international student ally training on Oct. 2, an event designed to help faculty and staff better understand the challenges faced by students who come to the United States to pursue higher education.
The workshop was led by International Student Center counselor Dr. Anthony Giammalva, who has previously hosted student panels and presentations on campus.
“I just want to get the word out about international students, everything that they go through, the stresses that they have, which are different from other students’ stresses,” Giammalva said. “Being thousands of miles from home is not always easy.”
The new training joins existing ally programs for other student populations, such as veterans and foster youth. Giammalva said the goal is to make this a recurring session once a year.
“It’s based off of my previous presentations, but I added new material to focus on what it means to be an ally.” Giammalva said.
The session, presented in the student services building, room 165, covered common misconceptions about international students. One example, Giammalva said, is the assumption that students from abroad are financially well-off.
“A lot of our students aren’t driving brand new cars,” Giammalva said. “Most come from middle-class families in their home countries, and many have multiple family members pitching in to help pay for tuition and housing.”
International students at Citrus pay higher tuition rates and are not eligible for federal or state financial aid, which can add stress to their academic journey. Giammalva said homesickness, canceled classes and cultural differences can make adjustment even harder.
To counter those challenges, the International Student Center hosts monthly activities such as a Halloween party and graduation celebrations to provide community. The center also connects students with counseling services and scholarships.
“We had a finalist last year for the Jack Kent Cooke scholarship, which covers nearly everything,” Giammalva said. “Opportunities like that show the importance of helping international students connect to resources.”
International Student Technician Michael Aguilar, who helps with applications and paperwork, said the training helped highlight these realities for faculty and staff.
“I think they did a really great job of covering all their bases and bringing forward a lot of knowledge that people may not have already had,” Aguilar said.
Students in attendance said the session provided valuable perspective.
Citrus student Hector Pimienta, who previously studied in Costa Rica and Japan, said the training reminded him that being an ally starts with empathy.
“One of the simplest but most effective ways we could be an ally is simply being more patient and understanding of our students and understanding where they’re coming from,” Pimienta said. “We all have in common that we’re just people trying to make it one day at a time.”
For international students like nursing major Kristin Sales from the Philippines, the support of the International Student Center has been vital.
“I chose Citrus College because the International Student Center is very welcoming and dependable,” Sales said. “Since I’m far away from home, I can lean on someone and depend on someone here.”
Sales said her biggest challenge has been adjusting to cultural differences.
“It’s more of a cultural hardship because I don’t always understand the inside jokes or references,” she said. “Sometimes I just laugh it out and look it up when I get home.”
Despite those obstacles, Sales said she feels supported.
“I hope that people remove the notion that international students are wealthy,” she said. “We’re just students who want to reach our goals in America and live our American dream.”
For Miho Obata, a communications major from Japan and a senator on the ASCC executive board, language has been the greatest challenge.
“Even though I studied English for years in Japan, we didn’t practice speaking,” Obata said. “So when I came here, it was still very hard. Being a student in a second language is difficult, and just knowing that faculty and staff understand that means a lot.”
Obata said the training gave her an opportunity to share her story directly with employees.
“I was so happy that I could share my experience, because not everyone has gone through what international students face,” she said.
Giammalva said international students bring diversity and academic strength to Citrus College, pointing out that their UC transfer rate is 96 %. Many serve as tutors and leaders across campus.
“Our international students bring so much diversity and academic strength to Citrus College,” Giammalva said. “The more we understand their experiences, the better we can support them.”
As the training becomes a regular part of professional development at Citrus, students and staff alike hope it will encourage stronger connections across campus.
“The International Student Center has been like a home away from home,” Sales said. “Knowing that the college is training employees to support us shows that Citrus cares about making us feel welcome.”
