International Students Celebrate Thanksgiving with Faculty and Staff Members

Pictured: International students Pranati Mathur and Pragya Dugar enjoyed Thanksgiving in the Long Island home of Michelle Ranaldo of the Vocational Independence Program.

For the third year, NYIT International and Experiential Education (IEE) arranged for international students to take part in an American cultural tradition: Thanksgiving dinner. While many international students see the three-day break from classes as an opportunity to travel or to study, some are eager to have an off-campus cultural experience by celebrating the holiday locally.

Nearly two dozen students enjoyed Thanksgiving meals thanks to 11 faculty and staff members who offered up their homes and hospitality. IEE staff members Luzia Geier, Christopher Olagunju, and Barbara Multari matched students with hosts according to the students’ travel needs and other preferences. “Students asked things such as ‘What is it like? Will we go to a restaurant?’ and ‘What is the dress code?’ They were eager to learn more,” said Geier.

Most of the students and hosts did not meet until Thanksgiving Day, and so the holiday itself became an occasion for creating new friendships. School of Management Assistant Professor Joshua Bienstock and his wife followed up by inviting their three student guests to join them on December 25 to see Christmas lights. Saudi student Aqeel Alhuwaykim, who visited the home of Associate Professor Deborah Y. Cohn, said of the event, “It was my lucky day to have that experience with a great family. I was welcomed since I arrived until I left. I felt as if we’d known each other for a long time.”