Global Friends
Global Friends is a joint program between the Office of International Programs and the Global Learning Center, in collaboration with the International Student Association, that connects international students with peer volunteers for cultural exchange and mutual support. The program helps international students navigate the University as well as the experience of living and studying abroad. Students from the US are able to provide friendship and connection to those who are far from home, while broadening their own knowledge of people and customs from other countries.
About the Global Friend Program
The goal of the Global Friends Program is to promote cross-cultural friendships while supporting students new to the US. Volunteer participants help their new friends through the struggles and challenges of living in a new country, far from home, speaking English as a foreign language, and adjusting to what can be extreme cultural differences and expectations. International students expose their volunteer friends to new world views and understandings of other cultures, including how students from other parts of the world deal with stress and how they plan to reach their academic goals.
Students who sign up are able to specify some preferences as to who they would like to be matched with, such as gender, age, major, hobbies, and more. Once matched, they then communicate with each other to arrange meetings on their own. All participants should be willing to commit to meeting at least twice a month or more for a full semester or, preferably, for the whole academic year. There are also opportunities to attend workshops and social events as provided by the OIP and the GLC.
Benefits of Being a Global Friend
For Volunteers
- Include the experience as a credential on your resume
- Enjoy a cultural learning experience right on campus
- Increase your network on campus
- Leverage the experience as a servant leadership opportunity
- Start learning a new language with your friend
- Broaden your global perspectives and knowledge
For International Students
- Make more friends on campus
- Ease your transition into life in the United States
- Get more involved with Seton Hall University student events and organizations
- Practice your English proficiency with native speakers
- Learn more about American culture
- Attend fun Seton Hall, Global Friends, OIP, and GLC events
Sign Up for Global Friends and Start Making New Connections
Register as a Volunteer if:
- You are a Domestic student (originally from the US or have lived here for more than three years)
- You are an International Student who has been in the US longer than three years
Register as an International Student if:
- You are an International Student who has been in the US less than three years
- You are a new International Student in any undergraduate, graduate, or ESL program at Seton Hall