Photo by IFI Media Team. Student and IFI Conversation Partners at a park.
Founded in 1979, International Friendships Inc. (IFI) aims to promote and encourage hospitality towards international students. The organization began when Bruce Erikson, pastor of Little Covenant Baptist Church, envisioned international students at Ohio State University (OSU) experiencing God’s love through openness and friendliness.
Erikson welcomed students into his home, took them grocery shopping and celebrated holidays with them, according to IFI. Additionally, Mabel Bahler, the co-founder, rented a place to house young women within walking distance of Ohio State University.
Today, IFI has locations on 50 campuses, 33 cities and 15 states with multiple resources, including the ISEED Internship and the Student Blog.
As an international student, Carolina Villa Nakata, National Content Coordinator, feels that IFI has been a big encouragement to her.
“I knew I wanted something closer to my calling,” said Nakata. “ I know how hard it is being a foreigner here, and I’ve always had a passion for working with international students. When IFI popped up on Linkedin, I applied to a couple positions and became a national content writer.”
Nakata graduated from Malone University in 2021. During her studies, she served the Office of Multicultural Services (OMS) as co-director.
Photo by IFI Media Team. Student and IFI volunteer making and sharing food.
“I started getting involved with international students as co-director of Malone’s Office of Multicultural Services. There were only a few events. [During] freshman year, I prayed that Jesus would give me the chance to work with international students as I felt lonely. When the OMS co-director position opened second semester, I applied,” said Nakata.
Nakata noticed that many Americans were hesitant to reach out to international students because of language barriers and lack of experience. Yet, she recognized that even the smallest tasks, like helping with grocery shopping, could make a difference.
Photo taken by IFI Media Team. IFI volunteers sharing food with international students at their house.
“Because of personal experience, I'm more than happy to join people doing mundane tasks like grocery shopping, feeding your kids and going to just fun activities, like the movie theater or a shopping mall. Hospitality doesn't have to be this grand thing,” said Nakata.
Nakata credits her cross-cultural experiences to her Brazilian upbringing.
“I grew up in Brazil and attended a K-12 international American Christian school. It had a dual curriculum, one in English and the other Brazilian. If you had a Brazilian parent, you would be enrolled in the dual curriculum. Since my dad's Brazilian, I got both.”
Photo by IFI Media Team. Students making food.
Growing up in a diverse community enabled Nakata to understand the difficulties of being an international student, yet it also brought challenges relating to people back home.
“My school provided a solid foundation for me, exploring my cultural identity and learning what it was like to be a foreigner. Even though I was Brazilian, Brazilians would still not believe me. I was too fair skinned. My Portuguese accent wasn't good enough. I felt like I never belonged anywhere, which is the life of a Third Culture Kid (TCK),” said Nakata.
Photo taken by IFI Media Team. IFI students taking a picture by dorms near Ohio State University.
“IFI welcomes everybody no matter what background you come from. If it's Hindu, Buddhist, atheist. It’s about love and encouragement,” said Nakata.
If you’d like to learn more about IFI, you can visit their website: ifipartners.org
Esther is a 2023 graduate of Malone University with a bachelor's degree in History. She utilizes her storytelling skills to advocate for societal changes regarding mainly social issues and most importantly, the impact of the Gospel.
