This fall, the University welcomed 98 new international students, representing 28 countries from Barbados to Uzbekistan, during International Student Orientation (ISO). ISO 2025 was a five-day–long affair that ran from Friday, Aug. 29 to Tuesday, Sept. 2, consisting of two arrival days, a settle-in day, and two days of programming organized by the Office of International Student Affairs (OISA).
For the first time, this year’s ISO program featured a theme: “The Colors of Wesleyan—All the World’s Colors Meet, Every Hue Belongs.” Envisioned by ISO intern Ry De Guzman, Jr. ’28, the theme aimed to integrate the broad and diverse identities of the University’s international student community.
“I’ve realized throughout my year at Wesleyan [that] international students should just not be defined according to where they come from, [but] with the different identities that they have,” De Guzman, Jr. said. “I wanted to encapsulate not just the countries, but also specific identities that each international student has. So when I was thinking ‘How can I integrate that?’ I immediately thought of colors, because it was also Pride Month at that time. So it was a very colorful month when I came into the position.”
The colors also intended to create a shared sense of belonging among the new Cardinals, with each ISO leader wearing a color that best reflected their personality.
“I felt the colored T-shirts created more affinity within ISO groups compared to last year,” ISO Leader Carolyn Cheng ’28 said. “Students want to make friends beyond ISO groups, but I felt the ‘Colors of Wesleyan’ theme created a sense of belonging for ISO students in their color groups that motivated them to get to know one another. Furthermore, I thought affinity through colors was an inclusive way to foster belonging compared to affinity by country of origin, as some students are the sole representative of their country.”
ISO 2025 differed from the previous year’s programming, with some events being removed to include new additions like Sundown Social on Foss and the Middletown Walking Tour.
“We introduced a new session dedicated to ‘Academic Integrity and the Use of AI,’” Assistant Director of International Student Engagement Dari Jigjidsuren wrote in an email to The Argus. “We also added a Clubs & Communities session to better highlight student involvement opportunities. Furthermore, the topics of Dining at Wes and Living at Wes were added. While many of our ISO sessions are recurring, it is important to note that their content is consistently reviewed and updated to ensure relevance.”
Organizers involved in past years explained how ISO and its initiatives have evolved.
“Being as this is my third and final year as an ISO leader, I’ve noticed a lot of differences from when I had my orientation,” Irene Tatsi ’26 said. “Now, when it comes to the actual program, I am so blessed to have seen it flourish so much in the past 4 years. The schedule is more fun, adventurous, and easy on the students. My orientation had a lot of events that consisted of back-to-back lectures.”
Orientation leaders also described the importance of supporting international students in their first social and logistical interactions on campus.
“Throughout orientation, it was special to support them in those first steps, whether it was moving in, joining activities, or simply finding their way around campus,” ISO Leader Lizbeth Ramirez ’28 said. “Seeing them grow more comfortable each day and begin to build their own sense of community has been incredibly fulfilling.”
As in previous years, ISO collaborated with First Things First (FTF) to host night activities for participants of both programs, such as karaoke and game nights.
ISO is spearheaded by the OISA Professional Staff, comprising Director Morgan Keller, Associate Director Janice Watson, and Jigjidsuren, along with the ISO intern and orientation leaders from around the world, who each lead a group of eight to 10 students.
Overall, the orientation was planned in collaboration with the Gordon Career Center, the Writer’s Room, Student Academic Resources, Olin Memorial Library, Davison Health Center, Counseling and Psychological Services, WesWell, the Office of Residential Life, and Information Technology Services. Their efforts were further supported by Public Safety, the Fries Center for Global Studies, the Sustainability Office, and the Office of Religious and Spiritual Life, who were involved in a resource fair organized for international students.
“ISO overall was welcoming and made me feel comfortable,” Alan Zeng ’29 said. “But if I have to choose one [event], the karaoke night was really the one that made me feel like this university could be my second home.”
Raiza Goel can be reached at rgoel@wesleyan.edu.
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