Ouachita Stories

While many of us are making plans to go home for Thanksgiving, there are more than a handful of Ouachita students who live too far away to go home for the half-week break. This is especially true for international students.

Amy Gattis, associate director of the Grant Center for International Education, explained that, for many international students, not knowing what they will do over the holidays is “often one of the top sources of anxiety before they arrive [at Ouachita].”

I had the chance to sit down with two of Ouachita’s international students to learn about their previous experiences with Thanksgiving break, and to give some insight for any future international students who may be anxious about what they will do over the holiday season.

The first student I had the chance to talk with was Abigail Brizuela. Abigail is from Honduras. In 2009, her sister met missionaries working in Honduras who had graduated from Ouachita. Eventually this led to both of Abigail’s older sisters coming to Ouachita, and now Abigail calls it home, too. A finance and management major, Abigail is now in her senior year.

For the past three years, Abigail has always gone home with friends over the Thanksgiving break. This year Abigail will be making a return visit to Garland, Texas, to spend Thanksgiving with her friend Madison McGee and Madison’s family. Abigail’s last trip to Garland sounded like the perfect Thanksgiving holiday full of friends, pulling pranks on family and, of course, loading up on food.

“Breaks during the school year always make me feel homesick, but through these breaks I have also learned that no matter where I go, people are always making you feel like part of the family,” Abigail said. “I don't have to ask my friends if I can stay with them, instead they say, ‘You are coming home with me, right?’ I feel like a family member and not just another international student that needs a place to go for the holidays.”

Another student I talk to about their holiday experience was Asaph Camillo. Asaph is a sophomore from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and is studying physics and math in preparation for engineering school. Asaph’s first Thanksgiving break was spent in Little Rock with friends; this year he is going to Waldron, Arkansas, to stay with Keaton Davis and his family.

“I am excited to see Keaton's family traditions and to experience a new part of Arkansas,” Asaph said. “Also, to eat a lot of food and have a good time with them all.”

When I asked Asaph what he would tell new international students about the holiday breaks, he said, “not to worry about it because people here are really kind, and people will gladly invite you to their homes for a holiday.”

Abigail and Asaph both expressed that Thanksgiving has been a really special time for giving thanks, experiencing a unique part of American culture and connecting with people. Ultimately, both Abigail and Asaph gave me the sense that adjusting to the holiday breaks as international students may have been daunting initially, but Ouachita students have made it a seamless and fun time of the year for both of them.

 

By William Goodson, a junior communications & media/strategic communications major from Little Rock, Ark.