Around the world, Hokies thrive together

When Anu Rai almost had to leave her Ph.D. program last summer, years of work — and generations of hope — seemed to be slipping away.

A doctoral student from Nepal studying forest resources and environmental conservation, Rai came to Virginia Tech determined to challenge stereotypes that too often keep women in her Indigenous community from pursuing higher education. But when funding ran short, that dream nearly ended.

“During that difficult time, the Center for Communicating Science — especially Patty Raun and Carrie Kroehler — and the Graduate School stood beside me with constant emotional and financial support,” Rai said. “Their care and encouragement reminded me that I am valued here, that my work matters, and that I belong.”

Through the center, Rai also began to see her research — and herself — differently. “Storytelling isn’t just about sharing science,” she said. “It’s about building understanding and community — helping each other through empathy, connection, and belief in one another’s potential.” 

For Rai, and for thousands of Hokies learning and serving around the world, that sense of connection is what turns education into something larger — a force for belonging and joy.

That same spirit drives International Education Week, held Nov. 11–18, when Hokies across the university will gather for film screenings, cultural showcases, and conversations on global well-being.

This year’s theme, “Thriving Together: Global Perspectives on Happiness, Well-being, and Human Connection,” reflects something Hokies know instinctively: Joy grows through connection. And engagement, whether across the street or across an ocean, transforms both learning and lives.

That idea also anchors this year’s keynote by behavioral economist Alberto Prati and social psychologist Lara Aknin, contributors to the World Happiness Report. Their work explores how we measure well-being, what truly makes life satisfying, and why collective happiness matters. 

“We humans are a super social species,” said Aknin, who will join Prati in a free public webinar from 12:30–2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12. “Acts that help us build and strengthen these vital connections bring us joy.”

From classrooms in Blacksburg to labs in Chennai to mountain trails in Switzerland, that spirit of global connection comes to life every day in the places where Hokies learn, discover, and serve. 

Across that network, joy takes many forms: the thrill of a breakthrough, a quiet moment of gratitude, laughter that bridges cultures. But beneath each story runs the same current — a belief that we are at our best when we learn, serve, and thrive together.

Joy in belonging

Belonging is where joy often begins — in the moments we feel seen and safe enough to be ourselves.

For Zhoumaocuo, a senior from Tibet who goes by Pema, connection is something she’s lived. She first came to Virginia Tech through the Language and Culture Institute’s AdvantageVT program, then found friendship and understanding through the Pamplin College of Business’ Global Mentor Program, which pairs international and domestic students. The experience helped her to feel at home in Blacksburg and later, as a mentor herself, to strengthen her own intercultural skills.

One day, a mentee returned from Europe and placed a small piece of candy in Pema’s palm — the kind of gift that said more than words ever could.

“It wasn’t just sweet,” she said. “It was a piece of memory — an echo of the simple joy we knew as children, when sharing candy with a friend meant wanting to see them smile. In that moment,  language was no longer needed. Connection had already become an embrace.” 

Moments like that ripple outward. Fellow mentor Puja Allu said the program has made her “more patient, open-minded, and better at communicating across cultures.”

“Helping and befriending students from diverse backgrounds taught me that everyone approaches life in different ways, shaped by their own experiences and perspectives,” Allu said.

For program coordinator Ale Rosetti, who was born and raised in Italy, those kinds of connections are what she sees every day — friendships built through small acts of care. “Those moments — talking, laughing, learning from one another — remind me how meaningful it is to stay open to other cultures,” she said.

Together, these experiences show how belonging grows through simple gestures — small bridges of understanding that make a large university feel like home. 

That same spirit of belonging animates communities across Virginia Tech. In the Mozaiko living-learning community, sophomore Emma Scholtz said the best part of her experience has been “so many great connections and laughs, and there’s only more to come.”

Located in Harper Hall, Mozaiko brings domestic and international students together to explore language, culture, and global issues. It’s designed to prepare students for a lifetime of intercultural leadership — but day to day, Scholtz said, it’s the friendships that matter most.

That spirit filled the building when the Grammy-winning band La Santa Cecilia visited this fall. Blending Latin culture, rock, and world music through Pan-American rhythms such as cumbia and bossa nova, the group embodies the joy of cultural fusion — and the power of music to transcend language.

As vocalist La Marisoul led the crowd through songs of love, loss, and everyday life, students clapped, sang, and danced together.

“The artists shared their musical journey and spread joy through their music with the students,” said Carey Stewart, assistant director for intercultural learning at the Cranwell International Center. “It reminded us that connection doesn’t always need translation.”

That same celebration of culture will come alive during International Education Week’s Dance of Nations, organized by the Council of International Student Organizations. On Nov. 11 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Haymarket Theatre, students from around the world will share music, movement, and traditions that turn the stage into a space of belonging.

Moments like these — a shared performance, a shared meal, a shared welcome — are what bind Virginia Tech’s international community. Whether in Mozaiko, the Global Mentor Program, or classrooms across campus, each interaction is a small act of belonging that adds up to something larger.

Joy in presence

Belonging often opens the door to something deeper: presence — the ability to slow down and notice what matters.

For senior Cindy Lam, studying abroad in Barcelona revealed that lesson around the dinner table. “People there take their time, especially at meals,” said the cybersecurity management and analytics major. “It’s typical to spend three or four hours just talking and enjoying each other’s company. I loved how that reflected how much they value relationships and connection. It really made me think about slowing down and being more present with the people in my own life.”

Through mentoring with the German Fulbright Summer Institute, Lam learned that presence also means openness. “We tend to generalize other cultures without meaning to,” she said. “But after meeting people from so many different places, I’ve gained a deeper appreciation for the different ways people see the world.”

At the Steger Center for International Scholarship in Riva San Vitale, Switzerland — Virginia Tech’s European hub for global learning — geosciences major Claudia Cave felt that awareness on a mountain trail in the Dolomites. “I teared up realizing how far I’ve come,” she said, “remembering the people back home who made this possible, and absolutely falling in love with what I’m doing.”

For graduate student Sydney Eismeier, presence feels like returning. “The quiet streets, the sound of the bells, and the familiar faces at Casa Maderni make it feel like home even when 4,000 miles away,” said the first-year Master of Public Administration student. 

Architecture student Morgan Waterman finds joy in smaller, sweeter moments. “Every day, when the clock hits 3, you can feel the exchange of glances as the architecture studio gears up for what we call gelato time,” she said. “It’s simple — just a quick trip for a treat — but it creates moments of happiness amid the hours of studying, moments when we can step back and enjoy feeling part of the Riva San Vitale community.” 

Across the Alps in southern France, civil and environmental engineering associate professor Tripp Shealy sees presence take root as students study how urban design shapes well-being. “After days packed with biking, trains, and walking, students start pointing things out — safe bike lanes, sidewalks that invite you to slow down,” he said. “They move from memorizing what good street design is to understanding why it works and how to build it.”

Wherever Hokies go — whether around a long dinner table in Spain, inside a Swiss gelateria, or along the shaded boulevards of Aix-en-Provence — the lesson is the same: Joy grows where we slow down, look closely, and connect.

Joy in discovery

Awareness naturally gives rise to curiosity, the desire to learn more about the people and places that shape our shared world.

For Ali Mehrizi-Sani, professor of electrical and computer engineering, that spark has grown through years of international collaboration and leading study abroad programs. “We may approach the same challenge, whether in research or in everyday life, from different angles,” he said, “but deep down, it is our shared curiosity and human nature that connect us.”

That same spirit drives Roberto Leon, the Via Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, who leads students to places like Pompeii and Delphi so they can feel the sweep of human history — not just read about it. Travel, he tells them, is an inheritance. “I take my students to such places because I want them to take their children — and their grandchildren — someday to experience the true value of humanity. We need to understand the value of different cultures and preserve them.”

Across Europe, Fulbright Scholar Diana Bairaktarova, associate professor of engineering education, finds that curiosity deepens with perspective. Teaching in Bulgaria reminds her how vivid the world becomes when we pay attention. “Every encounter is an opportunity to see the world more fully and appreciate the beauty and complexity of human experience.”

Discovery isn’t measured in miles but in understanding — in the moment a classroom idea becomes a human story. And often, that impulse to learn through others leads Hokies to serve beside them.

Joy in service

Aknin’s research has found that generosity strengthens happiness by deepening social bonds. Service, she said, is one of the most powerful ways we connect — a way to understand both others’ needs and our own purpose.

Across continents, Hokies find that giving gives something back: perspective, gratitude, renewed hope.

In western Kenya, students from Virginia Tech’s chapter of Engineers Without Borders helped install a hand pump that now delivers clean, reliable water to the village of Masara Steel. When the work ended, the community gathered to celebrate.

“We were greeted with cheers, dancing, music, and food,” said chapter president Ansley Bearden, a senior studying industrial and systems engineering. “Seeing that hope and gratitude reminded me to slow down, be present, and give thanks for the life I live.”

In the high mountain villages near Peru’s Sacred Valley, senior Catherine Caputo discovered a similar joy rooted in connection and respect. She joined a faculty-led service learning trip to Pisac in spring 2025 — a program that blends academics, cultural immersion, and hands-on community impact.

“In the quiet moments of connection with the people I met, I found a joy rooted in mutual respect and understanding — something far deeper than any exchange of technical skills,” Caputo said. 

Elsewhere in Peru, that same spirit took shape through shared discovery. Scott Dunning led 24 students through a course on Green Engineering, Culture, and History. Each evening, they circled up to share “wow moments” — flashes when the unfamiliar became unforgettable.

“I have always found joy in sharing new experiences with others," said Dunning, associate department head and chief of operations with the Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. “Those shared experiences create a sense of family within the class that can develop lifelong connections among peers. If we travel early in our lives, it can greatly impact our worldview. Afterward, when we see news from that part of the world, we view it through the eyes of our friends living there.”

That sense of family extends far beyond the classroom — to hospital wards, research labs, and villages half a world away. In southeastern Africa, Andy and Penny Muelenaer, faculty members with the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine, have spent years weaving research, medicine, and community through TEAM Malawi, a partnership with the Malawi University of Science and Technology.

“It was joyful work,” said Penny Muelenaer, recalling a day spent repainting murals that promote breastfeeding and child nutrition, “because it built pride in the hospital among the patients it serves.” 

Andy Muelenaer saw that same pride in a mother’s eyes during a visit to a remote village at the start of a clinical trial for CervImage, an affordable cervical cancer screening device. She lived without running water or electricity, he said, “yet she raised 11 children who all completed secondary school — several going on to university.”

Whether through paintbrushes or water pumps, data models or medical devices, Hokies are discovering what research has long shown: Joy deepens when knowledge becomes compassion — when service turns understanding into hope.

Joy in collaboration

Like service, collaboration multiplies joy.

At Virginia Tech India in Chennai, that joy often feels like a celebration. The university’s applied research and graduate education hub brings together scholars from around the world to solve problems rooted in local communities — and to share the joy of discovery along the way.

Research scientist Aayushi Kundu felt it while giving a talk on smart materials. “Seeing researchers’ and students’ enthusiasm, curiosity, and eagerness to explore new ideas filled me with immense joy,” she said. “The experience reminded me how meaningful it is to share knowledge and learn from each other.”

Her colleague Monica Chingchuilin Gonmei experienced it in a lab in Germany, holding a tiny microfluidic chip and realizing how something so small could model life itself. “Joy found me in that moment,” she said. “It deepened my love for translational research and the global community it builds.” 

For others at Virginia Tech India, joy takes quieter forms — in the rhythm of everyday collaboration. Research associate Tharakeshvar Anandaraj said the blend of deep focus and spontaneous conversation “keeps the atmosphere vibrant.” Design engineer Prakriti Harith treasures the daily invitation — “Tea?” — more ritual than refreshment, a simple spark of connection. And Jyothish Bijith said the Diwali decorations “make the whole office glow — literally and emotionally.”

That same light of collaboration spans continents. In southern Chile, Aníbal Concha Meyer, Ph.D. ’13, an associate professor with the Institute of Food Science and Technology at Austral University of Chile, helps coordinate the South American university’s more than 30-year partnership with Virginia Tech.

“The collaboration between Universidad Austral de Chile and Virginia Tech is a wonderful example of how global partnerships foster both scientific progress and human connection,” Concha Meyer said. “Through our joint efforts in science, sustainability, and education, we’ve seen Hokies and Chilean colleagues finding joy in working together, sharing knowledge, and building genuine friendships that strengthen well-being and community across continents.”

He added that the long-standing exchange between Austral and the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine has given students from both countries not only hands-on experience but also a lasting sense of belonging to a global community.

Joy in courage

For many international students, joy begins with courage — the courage to try something new, to speak in another language, to step into the unfamiliar and make it home.

At the Language and Culture Institute, that courage appears every day as students strengthen their English and prepare for academic success at Virginia Tech. 

Jiani Shen joined the university’s Wind Turbine Team — “a dream since I was 6.” Her classmate Ming “Paisley” Yang found excitement at her first rugby match: “I felt happy and excited — and even happier that our school won.”

At Virginia Tech, Yang said, she’s learned that “happiness and joy can be achieved by participating in activities with friends or trying things you’ve never done before.” 

Instructor Becky Etzler helps students discover those moments through cultural immersion trips that blend fun with learning. This fall, she led 18 students on a Halloween adventure — from a costume shop to a haunted attraction in Elliston, ending the night stargazing along a quiet country road. “The point,” she said, “is to show them something fun and to show off the beauty surrounding Virginia Tech.”

For these students, joy isn’t only in mastering a language or navigating a new culture. It’s in the simple bravery of saying yes — and finding friendship waiting there.

Joy in purpose

Across Virginia Tech’s global community, joy often takes root in purpose — in work that connects science with society, knowledge with care, and people with one another.

In Qatar, Feras Batarseh, an associate professor in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering and a Fulbright Scholar, is helping advance cyber-secure systems for agriculture and water. “Local contexts provide a joyful scientific opportunity to test the generalizability of our research,” he said. “We learn that the needs in all countries are in some cases similar — such as the need for clean water and good agricultural practices — but capturing country-specific challenges is critical to providing feasible solutions that preserve and respect local contexts.”

In Norway, Fulbright Scholar Holly Kindsvater has found a different kind of lesson while studying lobster populations and coastal conservation. “My international exchange has given me unexpected hope,” she said. “Norwegian society has a strong culture of working together for the communal good. They even have a word for it — ‘dugnad.’ Maybe Americans can find a way to overcome our differences and find dugnad so we can address the challenges facing our society.”

For Edward Becker, who has seen why Finland is regularly ranked among the world’s happiest countries, purpose lies in balance. “As a culture, Finns prioritize the simple things — time with family, daily connection with nature, walking or biking over driving,” he said. “We can learn so much from other cultures about what truly matters.” 

And in Egypt, Khaled Hassouna, associate director with the Center for International Research, Education, and Development, finds meaning around a table. “Everywhere we walked, people greeted us with a smile,” he said. “Meals became more than food — they were stories, memories, and prayers for one another’s safety.”

Whether through technology or tradition, conservation or conversation, these Hokies are discovering that purpose doesn’t just drive learning — it sustains it.

Thriving together

At its heart, International Education Week is about connection — and the hands and hearts that make it grow.

“Connection is 50 percent effort and 50 percent luck,” said Jazmin Jurkiewicz of Hokie Wellness, which helps Hokies take an active, engaged approach to their well-being. “What brings me joy is seeing people try — showing up for one another, even when it’s hard.”

That spirit underlies this year’s focus, said Rob Emmett, associate director at the Cranwell International Center. The theme, he explained, is about telling honest stories of well-being — stories that acknowledge challenge as well as hope — and showing how a whole Virginia Tech supports whole-person wellness.

That same pursuit of well-being drives the research behind this year’s keynote. “If policies want to improve people’s lives,” Prati said, “we need measures that are as accurate and scientific as possible about how people feel.” 

And as Aknin reminds us, “Social connection — in its various and sometimes surprising forms — can bring us joy.”

Which brings us back to the spirit that started it all — the one that connects classrooms, communities, and continents. 

When Hokies reach for one another — in a studio in Switzerland, a clinic in Malawi, a lab in Chennai, a mountain in Peru, or a classroom in Blacksburg — they don’t just study the world. They help make it better.