InTALKnational 2020: More Than An Event

InTALKnational 2020 was my first ISAB event of the year, which was also my last as a college student. Therefore, at this year InTALKnational, I felt the experience, the friendship, the love, and the international student community that we have helped bring together since the very first day of ISAB.

As a third-year board member, this year’s InTALKnational was the best experience I have had throughout the years that ISAB has hosted the event. We were able to gather a diverse group of students with unique backgrounds. We sat at tables, we shared the stories of our world to the community, and we showed each other the food we had back home. Some students came from peaceful countries with comfortable living conditions while others fought for their lives almost every day and desired a better education. However, at InTALKnational, the students united and contributed to a stronger international community at UCSB. Each response was a different story and the students shared their experience in detail as they wanted to participate in building the student body.

At the end of the event, one student at my table tapped me on the shoulder while I was cleaning the floor just to say thank you. She enjoyed the event, she asked about future events that ISAB might hold, and she wished she knew about InTALKnational earlier because it was her senior year at UCSB. When she shared her thoughts and feelings about our event, I felt that InTALKnational was more than just an event. It is a unique experience that gives international students a chance to speak their voice about what they have gone through and what they want the school to have done better. Moreover, it is a bonding experience in which people walked out of the event with at least a new contact on the phone, unlike any other social events that take them big courage to start a conversation with total strangers. 

At InTALKnational, we do not know each other at the beginning, but we all know we have at least one thing in common, which is we are international students, we have international backgrounds, and we are proud of that. Having struggles as an international student makes you stronger, fiercer, more experienced, and more loving. This also means that you can come to InTALKnational to share your stories and be a part of the changes you want to see in the international community. This year InTALKnational opened my eyes and left me with unforgettable memories as a UCSB international student. I hope, through this event, the friendships last, the love stays, and the international student body grows stronger than ever before.