THE GLOBAL

READ

The Bi-Annual Publication of the

Trinity University International

Student And Scholar Services Office

Congratulations to

the Trinity

International

Student class of

2015!

As another academic year winds

down, we continue to be amazed at

the talent and achievements of the

Trinity University International

Student population. Encompassing

nearly 10% of Trinity’s total

student body, Trinity International

Students add to the unique and

exciting cultural diversity of

Trinity. This May, the ISSS Office

will be proud to congratulate 31

international students on their

academic achievements as the

cross the stage during the May 16

spring graduation ceremony.

Table of

Contents:

Introduction May 2015

Graduating

International

Students Spring 2015 Event

Calendar Recent ISSS Events International

Banquet ISO Coordinator

Applications

Shopping Shuttle DPS/SSA Trips

SA Missions Trip

ISSS Study Lounge

Cookware

Borrowing

Program

OPT Information

Travel Signature

Reminder

Contact Us

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SPRING 2015

EDITION

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Congratulations Trinity University

International Students Class of 2015! Hang Bui

Brenda Merino

Maria Largacha

Felipe Benalcazar

Yahe (Vera) Zhou

Sonam Jattu

Pablo Diaz Boom

ShalliRosena Mbwette

Ngoc-Tam Ngo

Suphada (Dream) Lertphinyowong

Nicolas Estrada

Sung-Yub (Steve) Jun

Camila Rodriguez

Song Yie Kim

Joel Adablah

Aleksandre (Alex) Bakanidze

Claudio Calistri

Quynh Nga Do

Yiran (Irene) Fan

Ikuyo Ikeda

Upala Kalim

Han Sol Kim

Adhwaith Mani

Niti Nararidh

Manuel Lastiri

Miguel Navarro Martinez

Rebeca Santos

Jacqueline Emilienne Sime

Simon Uribe

Chih Ju (Vivian) Wei

Hsin Ye (Elly) Yeo

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Event Title Details

Trips to Social Security Administration and Department of Public Safety

Friday, March 20 Friday, April 24 Depart from WITT center at 2:00PM Sign up for trip at: http://goo.gl/UdVp4g Review Required Documents: License/Texas ID: http://goo.gl/LyKCPU SSN ID: http://goo.gl/D3ERsp

Tax Workshop for International Students, presented by Larry Barker from H&R Block

Thursday, March 19 4:00PM Northrup Hall, room 216

San Antonio Missions and Market Square trip (including the Fiesta De Los Reyes, official Fiesta event )

TBA

International Club Annual International Banquet Thursday, April 9 5:30PM—9:00PM The Great Hall (Chapman)

Taste of Diversity (recommended Trinity Diversity Con-nection Event)

Friday, April 10

Spring Finals Study Lounge (Room to study and free snacks!)

In Halsell Center, room 329, from 8:00am—5:00pm May 4th—May 9th

Save the Date — Fall 2015 International Student Orientation (ISO)!

Tuesday, August 17—Wednesday, August 18 2015 August 17—Official move-in day for all new internation-al students August 18—ISO Activities

Please visit our website for more ISO 2015 infor-mation: https://inside.trinity.edu/offices/international-student-scholar-services/international-students/newtransfer-students-0

Upcoming Spring Semester 2015 events

planned by the

International Students & Scholar Services

Office in collaboration with on/off campus

partners. Check the ISSS website and

Facebook page for updates!

Upcoming

Events Calendar

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December 11, 2014

RECENT ISSS EVENTS!

International Student and Scholar Services moved

to its new home at the end of the Fall 2014

semester, and is now located in the Halsell Center

Building, room 330 (on the third floor). The new

space features a cozy reception area with a desk

for the student workers, a desk available for

student use, and two individual offices for the

ISSS staff.

ISSS Open House

Thanksgiving Dinner Celebration ISSS partnered with FTIS (Friends of trinity

International Students) and InterVarsity to host

a wonderful and traditional Thanksgiving feast

on November 16, 2014. The celebration was a

the home of a volunteer family involved with

InterVarsity and the FTIS program. There were

at least 100 people from Trinity and the

community in attendance and lots of delicious

food and good conversation!

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ISSS Spring

Welcome Back

Celebration

International Students and their friends had a

chance to catch up and have some fun after

the winter break, during the ISSS Spring

Welcome Back Celebration on January 23.

Students got creative in the photo booth,

decorated cookies, folded origami, enjoyed

snacks, and learned about upcoming events

and services for the spring 2015 semester.

Trip to the 2015 San Antonio Rodeo ISSS and FTIS partnered with the San Antonio Rodeo International

Committee to provide a trip to the San Antonio Rodeo on February

21st. The international students enjoyed an authentic Texas meal in

the International Visitors Center as well as a personal tour through

some of the agricultural barns.

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International Women’s Day 2015

Celebration With a continual focus and commitment to international education efforts, the

ISSS Office hosted its annual International Women’s Day Celebration to

introduce the Trinity community to this

international holiday that is celebrated in many

countries around the world. While the holiday is

always celebrated on March 8, ISSS chose to

celebrate it on March 2, due to the spring break

schedule. This year’s celebration included

giving away 350 carnations (donated by local

business, Spring Garden Flower Shop), as well

as a diverse array of international desserts and

sweets. Informational sheets about International

Women’s Day were also distributed to those

who stopped by to join in and learn more.

(http://www.internationalwomensday.com)

ISSS Spring Break Trip to Six Flags Fiesta Texas

International students started spring break 2015 in an

exciting way, with an ISSS-sponsored trip to Six-Flags

Fiesta Texas on March 7th! Students spent the entire

day enjoying the rollercoasters, rides, food, and shows

at the popular theme park

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UPCOMING

EVENTS:

International Club has unveiled their

new logo! Please visit the IC Website at:

https://inside.trinity.edu/offices/international-student-

scholar-services/life-trinity/international-club

The Annual International Club

International Banquet

The Trinity University International Club will be

hosting its annual International Banquet on

Thursday, April 9th. Please join the Trinity

International community for this celebrated

annual event!

WHAT: International Banquet WHEN: Thursday, April 9 TIME: 5:30PM—9:00PM WHERE: the Great Hall at Chapman Center (ticket purchase required!) WHO: Everyone is invited! TICKETS: for the International Banquet are going to be on sale at Coates University Center from March 30-April 8, from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm. Students: $10. Faculty, Staff and Guests: $15

International Banquet 2014

Become an ISO Coordinator!

The ISSS Office is now accepting applications for 2015 International Student Orientation (ISO)

Coordinators! ISO Coordinators will work with the new incoming international students at Trinity to

support them both before they arrive on campus and after they arrive on campus during

orientation. ISO Coordinators will receive a stipend and valuable mentoring and programming

experience. These coordinator positions are open to all full-time returning Trinity students (both domestic

and international).

The Application, including instructions and more information about the

ISO Coordinator positions, can be found here:

https://docs.google.com/a/trinity.edu/forms/

d/18TAd9dEKxWLktLILj3dulSacVm-IO2nYJCKMw3MrmfI/viewform

Applications (including 1 reference letter and a resume) are due to ISSS by no

later than Monday, March 30, 2015.

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Sign-Up for a ride to the Social Security Administration (SSA) and Department of Public

Safety (DPS)!

This trip is for international students who need to apply for a Texas State ID, Learner License or a Social Security Number.

Remaining Spring 2015 Dates and Times: Friday, March 20th, departing from the Witt Center at 2:30PM Friday, April 24th, departing from the Witt Center at 2:30PM

Sign-up Here:

https://docs.google.com/a/trinity.edu/forms/d/17A2mbSgWwN4Mvf-g0pK_anUlVCxU5rPYyECm70K9hhk/viewform

Information about getting a Texas State ID or Driver’s License:

https://inside.trinity.edu/sites/inside.trinity.edu/files/file_attachments/3536/dltxstateidinfofinal.pdf

Information about applying for your Social Security number:

https://inside.trinity.edu/sites/inside.trinity.edu/files/file_attachments/3536/socialsecuritynumber.pdf

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ISSS Study Lounge for Finals Week!

San Antonio Missions Trip

Need a change of pace from studying in the library? Stop by the

ISSS Study Lounge during Reading Days and Final exams to meet

up with friends, get some work done, enjoy free snacks, and get

your I-20 signed!

When: May 4th—May 9th

Time: 8:00AM—5:00PM

Where: Halsell Center,

room 329 (third floor)

COMING SOON—a trip to two of the historic San Antonio Missions (San Jose

and Concepcion). Experience a valuable piece of U.S. History and enjoy the

beautiful San Antonio landscape! The Missions trip will conclude with a trip to

the Historic Market Square to enjoy a celebration of Fiesta De Los Reyes, an

official Fiesta event

Event Date, Time, and Details: To Be Announced (TBA)

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Optional Practical Training

“OPT”

Many International Students have heard the familiar

acronym—OPT—but what exactly is OPT?

OPT stand for “Optional Practical Training” and

it is a temporary employment authorization for

which F-1 visa students qualify.

Students who are eligible to apply for OPT must pay $380 and submit paperwork to USCIS (United States Citizenship and Im-

migration Services).

The average wait time for an OPT application to be processed is 2-3 months

40-50% of Trinity International students decide to apply for the Post-Completion OPT benefit upon graduating

OPT grants the student a period of 12 months of employment authorization in the U.S.

Students get 12 months of OPT for every degree level that they complete

A one-time extension of 17 months (for a total of 29 months) is available to certain STEM degree recipients.

OPT employment must be directly related to and commensurate with the level of the student’s course of study. Students

should seek advice from their academic advisor / professors for questions about which jobs will apply.

Students receive up to 90 cumulative days of unemployment during their OPT period, which leaves flexibility for job searching

FACTS About OPT...

For more information about OPT, visit our

ISSS Website, at: https://inside.trinity.edu/

offices/international-student-scholar-

services/international-students/current-

students and look under the “Employment

and Career Planning” heading.

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International Student & Scholar Services

One Trinity Place, #100

San Antonio, Texas 78212

+1-210-999-7313 phone

+1-210-999-7305 fax

Skype: iss0101

email: isss@trinity.edu

Office Hours:

Monday – Friday

8:00am – 5:00pm

The ISSS office is located in:

Halsell Center, room 330

Webpage: http://web.tr inity.edu/

x9097.xml

“Like” Us on Facebook for more

updates: https://

www.facebook.com/trinityisss

Contact Us:

© 2015. Trinity University Produced by International Programs, International Student & Scholar Services. Questions or Comments? email us at isss@trinity.edu

TRAVEL SIGNATURE

REMINDER!!!

F-1 visa holders must get

their form I-20’s signed by a

DSO at the ISSS Office at least

every 12 months! If you are

on OPT it must be signed at

least every six months!

-Before departing Trinity’s

campus for summer, be sure

to check the 3rd page on your

form I-20 to see when it was

last signed by a Trinity DSO

-If the signature date will no

longer be valid by the date

you plan to return to the

U.S., please stop by the ISSS

Office before departing the

U.S. for the summer to

receive an updated travel

signature!