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We are excited to welcome LER student, Mariela Marquez, to the team as our new International Peer Advisor. We’re thrilled to have a student leader like Mariela to be a valuable resource for our international students.
Here are a few words from Mariela about what she will bring to the position this semester:
"My family immigrated to the United States from Mexico when they were both 18. As I grew up, I primarily spoke Spanish at home and learned about Mexican culture from my family. Growing up in two different cultures, led me to always be curious and want to learn more about other cultures. This curiosity led me to study abroad for a semester in Granada, Spain during my undergrad. My experience abroad made me realize how challenging it can be to live in a foreign place. While it’s exciting to live in a new country, it can also be frightening to be so far from family and friends. I truly admire the dedication international students put into their studies, considering English is not their first language. I’m excited to be a resource for our international students as they tackle the obstacles of living in a new country, far away from the place they call home.
I recently took the fall semester off to participate in a seven-month co-op with GE Lighting, in Cleveland, OH. The co-op was a great experience that allowed me to strengthen my HR knowledge and learn more about HR hands-on. Now, I am not only excited to share this newly found HR knowledge with my peers but to also help them develop professional skills. During my undergrad, I was a mathematics major, and have had lots of previous experience, recruiting and interviewing students for jobs with Campus Recreation and the Illini Union. I am excited to help strengthen my peers’ critical thinking and analytical skills, as well as helping them sharpen their resumes and interview skills.
Lastly, I truly feel grateful to be in this role. My curiosity to learn about other cultures has never ceased to exist, so I am very open to learning about other cultures and want my fellow classmates to have the best experience possible while at LER. I look forward to not only being a resource to my fellow peers, whether it is about LER or living in the U.S., but I also look forward to being a companion whom my peers can engage in genuine conversation with."
