Roosevelt University is a welcoming environment for international students of any background, including the campus’ thriving South Asian population. Tarvinder Singh, president of Roosevelt’s Indian Student Association (ISA), recognizes how important a support system is for students living away from home for the first time, especially if they’re on another continent.
“International students face unique challenges compared to other students because of the language barrier and adjusting to a different culture,” he says. “You have to balance all your schoolwork and trying to make friends, but you also have to manage this while learning English and adjusting to a different climate. If you’re an international student, it can potentially feel very isolating. What’s so important for organizations like ISA is that you can sit next to someone facing that same experience and connect over that.”
Singh, who is studying Industrial Organizational Psychology and wants to become a counseling psychologist, understands that building community and understanding shared challenges is crucial for mental health. And as president of ISA, he develops programming for international students to experience group events and a literal taste of home. The association plans several annual celebrations of Hindu holidays such as Diwali and Holi, where attendees are encouraged to wear traditional clothing such as saris and kurtas. The bright colors and dancing lend a festive pop to Roosevelt’s Chicago campus, and Indian students can connect over their culture from home.
“Food is incredibly important to community,” Singh says. “We try to cater events with a diverse menu to appeal to as many members as possible. It sounds simple, but if you give people even an hour to experience culture from their home country, they’re more likely to socialize and want to stay.”
In addition to cultural events, ISA welcomes members to bi-weekly meetings where they can organize study groups, develop networks to share internship openings and share tips on living in Chicago.
“I love Roosevelt because of the campus’ downtown location, and I love that Chicago is easy to navigate on public transportation, but it’s always beneficial to have a community that can share tips on living here,” says MBA candidate and ISA vice president Drasti Patel. “Many of us start by simply exchanging information or discussing how we deal with the winters, but you slowly break down the barriers and feel connected on a deeper level.”
Patel’s duties as vice president include managing ISA’s social media accounts and recording feedback from members, and the responses she sees are encouraging.
“The reviews of our events are very positive, and many people tell me this was their first opportunity to enjoy a certain dish or talk to someone from the same Indian state,” she says. “I think that’s what makes Roosevelt such an appealing place for international students. We have the freedom to create these groups and connect with others from a similar background.”
Even though ISA emphasizes specifically Indian cultural traditions, the leadership team recognizes that South Asia contains diverse religions, ethnicities and languages, and in the spirit of Roosevelt they welcome members of all backgrounds.
“We never want to limit membership to just Indian students,” says Singh. “We have people who come to events from Pakistan, China and even many American students. What’s important is that we’re learning from each other, and I’m pleased we’ve been able to grow here at Roosevelt.”
