11/09/22

By FHSU University Communications

Hays, Kan. - International Education Week will be observed at Fort Hays State University with food, art, fashion, and much more starting Nov. 14.

Graduate assistants Misael Trejo and Erica Meneses have been instrumental in planning the second annual International Fashion & Food Festival, scheduled Monday from 5-7 p.m.

“It will be a place where people can come and enjoy the food and performances and learn more about their culture,” Meneses said. “It’s like a showcase.”

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 food that they feel represents their country.

Trejo and Meneses, who taught English to youngsters in Beijing in 2019, are committed to promoting international education and reaching out to FHSU’s international students.

“We had the experience of going to another country not knowing what to expect and also feeling homesick,” Trejo said.

“Now, coming back and seeing our international students, you don’t know what they are feeling. They could be missing their family. Especially during holidays. That is something that motivates me and makes me very passionate about our international students.”

Trejo said the primary intent of the fashion and food festival is to encourage domestic students, faculty, and staff to reach out to international students and make them feel included in campus life.

“Because they all have 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.

Included in the week’s events is an open house Monday from 9-10:30 a.m. to celebrate the new location of the offices of International Student Services and Global Affairs. 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 going on in the Memorial Union, where flags representing the countries of all FHSU international students will be flown. Individuals 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 like they’re at home and that they have a great time while they’re at Fort Hays State.”