09/11/22
By FHSU University Communications
Hays, Khan. – International Education Week will be held at Fort Hays State University with food, art, fashion and more beginning November 14.
Graduate assistants Misael Trejo and Erica Meneses have been instrumental in planning the second annual International Fashion and Food Festival, scheduled for Monday from 5-7 p.m.
“It will be a place where people can come and enjoy the food and the performances and learn more about their culture,” Meneses said. “It’s like a window display.”
Hays Sister Cities will provide financial sponsorship of the evening’s festivities, which aligns with the Sister Cities’ “people-to-people” mission. Countries represented include Ghana, Nigeria, Venezuela, Mexico, Spain, Japan and Hungary. International students, faculty, and staff will prepare and serve foods that they feel are representative of their country.
Trejo and Meneses, who taught English to youth in Beijing in 2019, are committed to promoting international education and reaching FHSU international students.
“We had the experience of going to another country not knowing what to expect and also feeling homesick,” Trejo said.
“Now, when you go back and see our international students, you don’t know what they feel. They could be missing their family. Especially during the holidays. That is something that motivates me and makes me very passionate about our international students.”
Trejo said the main intention of the fashion and food festival is to encourage domestic students, faculty and staff to connect with international students and make them feel included in campus life.
“Because everyone has different stories,” he said. “They are very unique.”
A complete list of International Education Week activities is available at: https://www.fhsu.edu/international/programs/iew-list-of-events.
The week’s events include an open house on Monday from 9-10:30 am to celebrate the new location of the International Student Services and Global Affairs offices. The new office suite is 014, Memorial Union.
Trejo and Meneses said they want to encourage FHSU students and staff to participate in the “You Are Welcome” campaign, which will be held at the Memorial Union, where flags representing the countries of all FHSU international students will be flown. People can write notes to international students to make them feel welcome on campus.
“I know what it feels like to go to a new country and not know the language,” Meneses said. “I want to make sure our international students feel at home and have a great time while at Fort Hays State.”