Home away from home: MISSE creates virtual community while apart

As the pandemic shut down much of campus life, Multicultural International Student Support and Engagement has continued to engage and connect with students virtually. Online programming — like Zoom and discord hours — have fostered the "home away from home" space as the physical cultural centers remain closed.

Joseph Villalobos

Mary Hartel, News Reporter

As Joseph Villalobos transitioned to college, he became more immersed in one identity — but felt further away from another. A native of Elgin, Illinois, a town that is about 80 percent Latinx, Villalobos said he decided to attend the University of Iowa after a former teacher recommended its English program. “She also told me that it is like the gay center of Iowa — Iowa City,” Vi...

Whitney Martinez

Jenna Post, Arts Reporter

As a first-generation student, Whitney Martinez wasn’t sure what to expect from her college experience. To better prepare herself, Martinez attended the Iowa Edge program in 2018. She arrived ready to learn about university life and left with new friends who would soon help her find her passion for the Association of Latinos Moving Ahead. Martinez was hesitant to join the Association of Latinos Movi...

Sydney Nguyen

Eleanor Hildebrandt, News Reporter

When Sydney Nguyen embarked on her journey as the first Programming Assistant for University of Iowa International Student Support and Engagement, she knew it would be challenging. Nguyen, a second-year student studying English and creative writing, began her position in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. She trained for her position virtually, and she is responsible for creating a social-...

Michelle Tran-Duong

Alexandra Skores, Managing Editor

In spring 2020, University of Iowa second-year student Michelle Tran-Duong attended a public conversation where a lecturer said there was no need to worry about COVID-19 and masks weren’t needed. Nearly a year later, Tran-Duong can look back and see COVID-19 was minimized toward the beginning of the pandemic, and how it has shaped her on-campus experience and involvement as a Hawkeye. ...

Michael Warner-Craft

Hannah Pinski, Opinions Editor

The Black student population may be small at the University of Iowa, but Michael Warner-Craft makes sure to build a community where Black students at Iowa feel at home. Warner-Craft, a junior at the UI majoring in ethics and public policy, serves as president of the Black Student Union and co-president of the National Pan-Hellenic Council. With a tumultuous summer of renewed calls for racial ...