The International Student Organization is a fairly new club at Texas A&M University-San Antonio with students from countries including Iran, Jordan, Bangladesh, India, Germany and Mexico.
However, it also welcomes students interested in learning about new cultures and helping foreign students navigate life in the United States.
Graduate student Kimia Ahmadiyehyazdi, a water resources science and technology major, established the club in December of 2023.
“My main goal is to help pave the way for all international students that attend TAMUSA after me,“ said Ahmadiyehyazdi. Ahmadiyehyazdi, who is from Iran hopes the club can help international students with culture shock also.
The ISO is currently an interest group at A&M San Antonio. An interest group meets often and only speaks about topics of interest. They cannot fundraise or receive university funding, and there is no GPA requirement. To become a recognized organization, the club must maintain at least seven members per semester and also a 2.0 GPA.
The club has 12 members on JagSync and 35 students in the club’s groupme. There are no weekly meetings for the club at the moment. The main line of communication is through the club’s group chat.
“Officers in the club can use the experience on their resume because they help organize and put events together,” said Ahmadiyehyazdi. The club has three officers listed on the JagSync page. Ahmadiyehyazdi who is the president of the club. There is also a country representative and an outreach coordinator.
The club holds occasional events. There is no set date for future events. The last event was held on Feb. 14 in the International Affairs Office in Room 434 of the Central Academic Building. There the club celebrated valentine’s day while enjoying refreshments ,exchanging gifts and also fun facts about their countries.
For more information, visit the club’s JagSync page or their Instagram page @iso.tamusa.
Jacob Gonzales contributed to this story.
