Nafisa Kamal Ayntee spent her early years traveling throughout South Asia. Her father’s career as an agriculturalist, working to support a variety of NGOs, resulted in the family relocating multiple times. One significant move was to the Maldives when Nafisa was five years old. Not only was this a remarkable time due to the birth of her younger sister, it was also when Nafisa was first introduced to the English language

Following in the footsteps of her mother, a University of Iowa PhD alumna, Siau-Tong Ding enrolled as an undergraduate in 2018. Born and raised in Kaohsiung City, Taiwan, Ding came to Iowa City to double-major in environmental policy and planning and anthropology. Now, in preparation for her third year at the university, she is also considering minors in geography or a certificate in Geographic Information Science (GIS).

During her studies at the UI, Piroska Boros, international student from Hungary, realized many successes: co-authoring several published papers, presenting her research findings at the American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, as well as receiving a fellowship award to support her dissertation project. In addition to excelling in her studies at the University of Iowa, Piroska contributed to the university community through her role as co-chair of the International Student Advisory Board, Graduate Panel, and also as a volunteer with the Student Accountability Office as a Critical MASS Mentor.

Coming from both an international and transfer student background, Celine Kusnadi wished for nothing more than to find her home in the Hawkeye state. Born and raised in Jakarta, Indonesia, Kusnadi packed her bags four years ago to pursue higher education. Now she is a senior graduating with a major in international relations under the perplexing circumstances of online education.     

Every year thousands of international students make the fearless decision to advance their education in the United States. With thousands of colleges to choose from, these students qualify for some of the most prestigious programs in the nation. As prospective scholars weed out their options, they soon begin looking for an institution that feels like home. More than 3,100 international students and scholars currently call the University of Iowa home. Beyond their academic programs, the university has proven to be a welcoming, supportive, and integrated space for international applicants. And for a student like Mishma Nixon, current second-year Hawkeye student originally from Sri Lanka, that was all she could ask for.

As part of International Education Week 2019, Allison Kim is one of seven University of Iowa students chosen by a committee of students to be recognized for their leadership and engagement in international education on campus and abroad