Club Spotlight: International Student Alliance
Adrian Chan / The Exonian
By EILENA DING, MAGGIE KOTKOWSKI, ANDREW YANG, and ARISA YOSHINO
Phillips Exeter Academy has always been proud of its diverse student body, a core part which is the campus’s international community. Often, many of those international students face additional challenges when first transitioning to life in the US. To help smoothen this process, the Academy offers an orientation program called the International Student Orientation, commonly known as ISO.
Beyond that program is the International Student Alliance (ISA), which meets biweekly and serves as a space of community and comfort for many international students. On a Wednesday night on the third floor of the Elizabeth Phillips Academy Center, you will likely overhear the International Students Alliance discussing the challenges and joys of being an international student while expressing their cultures down in Room 316.
ISA co-head senior Varit Asavathiratham commented on the significance that ISA holds in fostering a comfortable environment for international students to bond. “ISA is key to helping international students, both new and returning, feel at home and comfortable at Exeter. I love how ISA fosters an accepting and supportive community that I can always fall back on.”
“I love being part of ISA,” Rick Osei-Addae, a prep from Ghana, shared. “I feel less alone whenever I interact with the international community at ISA.”
Upper Kateryna Horeva from Ukraine echoed in sentiment, emphasizing the diverse yet tight-knit environment the club fosters. “I really enjoy being a part of this community because it’s not that big,” she reflected. “There are not that many international students, and although we all come from different corners of the world, it seems that we’re so different. At the end of the day, we face the same challenges at Exeter, and it really brings us together when we solve them together.”
Prep Lucy Meng shared a similar opinion, “As a Chinese-Canadian student, being part of ISA has given me a sense of ‘home.’ I’m able to bond with other international students who are just as homesick as I am or simply be part of a non-judgemental and comforting community.”
Meng added, “Sometimes I feel like I don’t exactly fit in with the day students or students that are able to see their parents every weekend. However, it also means I am able to step outside my comfort zone and find a sense of belonging, something ISA has helped me do.”
In addition to the support that ISA fosters, Horeva explained that she believes ISA helps increase the inclusivity of the Exeter community. She expressed, “I think it introduces a lot of American citizens to cultures around the world and grows their perspectives.” Horeva added that she has many American friends who have never left the country and feels that “it’s really beneficial for them to discover the numerous cultures in our school and learn about different traditions that people from around the world have.”
ISA co-head senior Ava Helbig further detailed the role that ISA plays in creating connections. “It’s a place for international students to come together and be in a community. I think that alongside strengthening relationships between students, it also serves as a means for students to take part in educating the broader community.”
“ISA amplifies the voice of international students,” noted Jennifer Smith, club advisor and International Student Coordinator. “It brings the community together for fun events while also giving key educational takeaways to all.”
A core part of creating that sense of community manifests in the biweekly club meetings, often labeled as a highlight of many students’ weeks. Osei-Addae, for one, reflected on the casual and welcoming environment, “We mostly just have fun and chill. You bring your friends, and you really just embrace not being from here, which is wonderful.”
Leon Yang, a new lower from Tokyo, further emphasized food as a central way in which the community bonds. “We get food and talk about how home is.”
Asavathiratham shared a specific aspect of ISA meetings that he greatly appreciates, “I love ISA’s tradition of playing Kahoot every meeting. We have a lot of fun, and the winner gets a prize, too.”
Smith added, “One night, ISA got to pick out fuzzy socks and do face masks to relax. [...] Another favorite moment is when we had a pancake and yoga study break. We listened to jazz and had a great time.”
ISA is not just an affinity group but a community that provides many students an opportunity to embrace their international identity and feel less alone throughout their time at Exeter. Meng praised the club, “I enjoy everything about ISA. From the people to the staff to the activities we participate in — the association is truly a wonderfully positive community to be a part of as an international student.”
