What being part of an international student community taught me about belonging, leadership, and communication.
Back in Vietnam, I used to think having two close friends was all the company I needed. I never imagined myself becoming involved in student leadership, let alone helping build a community. But when I joined the International Student Association (ISA) at Santa Ana College, I met so many students who were just as lost as I was. We came from different countries, but we shared similar hopes: to study, adapt to a new environment, experience life in the United States, and make the most of our opportunities. We were eager to learn, even when we didn't know where to begin. What inspired me to become more involved wasn't that I knew how to guide everyone. It was realizing that none of us should have to figure everything out alone.
We learned leadership by doing things together. We organized orientation tours, guided incoming students through questions by introducing resources we had discovered, and turned what we learned into flyers and workshops to help others navigate their new environment. We certainly didn't have to learn everything on our own, and many people helped us along the way. Still, seeing newer generations of international students arrive with more information and resources readily available than we initially had was incredibly rewarding.
But of all the experiences I had with ISA, what I miss most are the days and nights we spent preparing for graduation parties. I was fortunate enough to help with not one, but three celebrations. I still remember us figuring out how to organize our first one: planning the agenda, deciding what to prepare and purchase, discussing what the MC should say, and finding ways to make every graduate feel appreciated. Looking back, we were a group of students learning how to organize a celebration while still figuring out so much about our own lives.
By the time we reached our own graduation in 2025, everything felt different. After spending so much time celebrating others, we were finally the graduates being celebrated. It was more than finishing community college or receiving a degree. It was a chance to look around and realize how much we had grown together, from students who once felt lost to a community that could welcome, guide, and celebrate others. What started as a group of international students helping one another had become something that could continue supporting those who came after us.
That experience changed how I think about communication. A flyer can help someone discover a resource, and an orientation can show them where to begin, but genuine connection is what can turn information into a sense of belonging. Even after transferring to CSUF and approaching another graduation, the friends I made through ISA are still part of my life. Somehow, the person who thought two friends were enough became the one hosting gatherings and sending invitations to friends from different countries. I still don't particularly love mingling, but I've come to appreciate what it means to bring people together.
Maybe belonging isn't always something we find. Sometimes, it's something we build together so that the next person has an easier place to start.
