Global UGRAD exchange students who attended Delta State during the Spring 2024 semester (L to R): Steve Odira (Kenya), Tamari Tateshvili (Georgia), Moukthida Xaygnaphone (Laos) and Francisco Barbar (Timor-Leste).CLEVELAND, Miss. — As part of its ongoing commitment to cross-cultural international engagement, Delta State University hosted four new international exchange students during the spring 2024 semester through the U.S. Department of State’s Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (Global UGRAD), administered by World Learning. DSU has been hosting UGRAD students since 2011.
This semester’s UGRAD students were Francisco Da Conceicao Barbar from Timor-Leste, Steve Odira from Kenya, Tamari Tateshvili from Georgia, and Moukthida Xaygnaphone from Laos.
Missey Hudson, coordinator of International Student Services, provided insight into the students’ arrival. “The selection process to attend college in the U.S. as a UGRAD student is incredibly competitive. Students are selected by UGRAD based on academic work, community involvement, extracurricular activities, and demonstrated leadership.”
The UGRAD students had a busy semester. In addition to attending classes in their majors, they lived in campus residence halls, participated in community service activities such as the annual Big Green Event, went on a civil rights field trip to Jackson, Mississippi, and experienced unique Delta State traditions like Spring Fest.
Donna Bryant, academic program manager and advisor in Delta State’s Geospatial Information Technologies Center, and Odira shared some of their memories from the semester.
“Steve was inspiring in his thirst to experience American culture while he was here,” Bryant said. “He is courageous with his travel and infectious with his dazzling smile and joyful enthusiasm, all the while completing difficult coursework far beyond basic [geospatial information systems] program requirements.”
Odira said, “One similarity between DSU and my home university is their commitment to academic rigor and excellence. Both institutions offer diverse academic programs and opportunities for students to engage deeply with their chosen fields of study. However, the unique aspect of DSU was the close relationship I developed with my professors and advisor. I had the chance to build genuine connections outside of academics.”
Xaygnaphone, an English major, took advantage of the opportunity to teach the campus more about international students and interests through her published articles in the student online newspaper, The Delta Statement.
UGRAD students participated in field trips offered by DSU’s Outdoor Recreation Program, including indoor rock climbing in Memphis and canoeing in cypress brakes and swamps. Tateshvili, a computer information systems major, even signed up for a swimming class and improved her skills and fitness throughout the semester.
Overall, UGRAD students agreed that attending Delta State was a positive experience. Barbar, a mathematics major, shared, “First and foremost, studying at Delta State University has helped me immerse myself in a foreign culture. I get to experience a different way of life, which broadens my horizons and helps me appreciate diversity. Learning about different customs, traditions, and beliefs provides me with a better understanding of the world around me.”
Xaygnaphone echoed this sentiment, “The friendly and welcoming atmosphere at Delta State is so heartwarming. You’ll often see strangers smiling and greeting each other with a friendly ‘Hey, how you doing?’”
About Global UGRAD:
The Global Undergraduate Exchange Program (Global UGRAD) provides one-semester scholarships to outstanding undergraduate students from around the world for non-degree full-time study combined with community service, professional development, and cultural enrichment.
About World Learning:
Since 2008, World Learning has provided this opportunity to over 2,500 Global UGRAD students. Participants leave the U.S. with the tools to become leaders in their professions and communities. Global UGRAD alumni go on to receive Fulbright grants, obtain prestigious international internships, and work in business and government in their home countries and regions.
