Frequently bustling with recently arrived J-1 students, the Cyber Café at the IIIC could not be the successful resource that it is without our friendly and dedicated volunteers. Andrea Ray started volunteering at the IIIC for the first time this year and she quickly proved to be an asset to the team.
Andrea is an International Relations major at Mount Holyoke College and is heading into her senior year. Originally a French major, she switched to International Relations because of the broader scope it provides. Andrea is especially interested in international education and the value of studying and living abroad. It was this interest that attracted her to the IIIC.
Currently Andrea volunteers in the Cyber Café twice a week and is available to assist the J-1 students with housing and job leads, as well as with the occasional printer hiccup. She says she likes helping the J-1’ers “understand how [the job search] works in America.”
“The [J-1] students are brilliant,” Andrea says, emphasizing how much she is enjoying her time as a volunteer. “I admire their wittiness.” She notes that working with the students has been a great learning experience, giving her insight into how life in Ireland compares to life in the United States. These sorts of cross-cultural comparisons are a subject that she finds particularly interesting.
“I love interacting with the students, hearing what they have to say and learning about their lives in Ireland.”
Andrea also praises the IIIC, “Everyone is extremely helpful!” she adds, commenting on how she “love[s] the people here.” She is confident that her volunteering this summer will continue to be an all-around positive experience.
The IIIC is very grateful to its hardworking volunteers for their assistance and dedication.