The University of Houston-Victoria invites all students, faculty, staff and community to travel abroad on an international trip, all without having to leave campus.
The ninth annual UHV International Festival will be held from 5 to 8:30 p.m. April 12 in the parking lot between the University Center Building and University West, 3007 N. Ben Wilson Blvd. The event is free and open to the public.
“I'm very excited about the upcoming festival because it is truly a momentous celebration of global diversity and unity as we bring together performers, cuisines, traditions and fashions from around the world in Victoria,” said Samuel Gu, an international graduate student. Study biomedical sciences. “This will be my last festival as a student, and I know that this festival will be a scintillating display of how we can put aside our differences and come together to celebrate each other as citizens of the world.”
The festival is a joint effort between UHV International Programs, the International Student Organization and University Student Life.
“It has been a journey,” said Ana Laura Pineda, interim director of international programs at UHV. “We started small, and have brought in many over the years to make sure the event is a success.”
Pineda said the event will include an international fashion show featuring UHV international students, who will present their nationality while wearing their cultural attire.
“One of the exciting and memorable things about this event is the flag display where we display the flags of students coming from other countries,” Pineda said. “I am very grateful to International Student Coordinator Tiara Figueroa for working so hard with Student Life and other International Festival Committee members to make this event possible.”
Additionally, the event will host a total of four professional performers coming to campus, including a mariachi band, belly dancers, the Our Lady of Sorrows folklorico ballet, and a samba-style Brazilian dance performance. A variety of foods and booths will be available for attendees to enjoy and learn more about other cultures around the world.
“This event will not only benefit the students, but the campus as well; “That life will stand out because the purpose of our being here is for our students,” Pineda said. “This event helps our international students open up and promote their countries and feel special because they are able to introduce their countries to us.”
Amani Ismail, a UHV sophomore double majoring in computer science and mathematics, has come a long way. To be precise, over 9,800 miles.
She is an international student from Sri Lanka, an island country in South Asia just south of India. Even though she was on the other side of the globe, Ismail said she learned about UHV after a recruiter came to her school to talk about all the opportunities she had waiting for her at Texas.
“It was this personal connection,” Ismail said. “Since then, I had always considered UHV, and when it came time to apply to schools, I knew UHV was the right choice for me.”
Ismail is now part of a group of about 160 international students on F-1/J-1 visas from 40 different countries here at UHV, according to UHV International Programs.
Ismail said that adjusting to the university and the new continent was difficult at first during her first semester. The first day she started at UHV was the day she celebrated her 17th birthday. Eventually, Ismail said she returned to her new life, made new friends, and found work on campus. She currently works in the Student Success Center peer tutoring lower level math courses, and also helps the International Programs Office plan events, take incoming calls, and mentor students.
For this year's International Festival, Ismail is volunteering to set up the event as well as running a booth to represent her home country with two other international students.
“I'm looking forward to checking out each of the world's foods, hearing from the speakers and seeing the clothing selections from each country,” she said. “It's basically a peek at different countries, all in one parking lot.”
Most importantly, Ismail said, the upcoming festival represents an opportunity for local students in the Victoria area to learn about different cultures without having to travel far.
“Bringing all these different cultures closer to local students is very valuable because it gives students an opportunity to learn and broaden their horizons,” she said. “Interactions like this encourage positive homogeneity within the culture, and it is great to see international students mingling with local students.”
