When Jennifer Durham participated in a student exchange program last year, she was greeted by a group of students ready to give her a tour of her host university in Spain and help her get involved in activities on campus. When she returned home, Durham wanted to help foreign students coming to The University of Memphis to get acclimated, planning to participate in a similar program here in the United States.
However, Durham, a Spanish major, found that no such exchange student welcome program existed on The U of M campus. So she started one, slated to begin this fall.
Durham hopes the program will include volunteers meeting with the students at the airport when they arrive a couple of weeks before classes begin, and then escorting them to campus. The volunteers will help their “charges” move into their dorms and give them a tour of campus and the immediate surrounding areas.
According to Durham, about 20 foreign exchange students will arrive at The U of M this fall, and Durham hopes that each one will have a volunteer to help them get to know their way around.
“I would like to be able to get them to come to some of the football games and other extracurricular activities, too,” Durham said.
Many of the exchange students will be French, according to Durham, but their majors will vary widely.
A meeting will be held tonight in The University Center, Room 406, to talk about the program and plan for next year. All students interested in volunteering are invited to attend. Refreshments will be served.
