Students create international connections through Global Engagement Community

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — When psychology student Melissa Waas first enrolled at Penn State, she said, she knew she wanted to find a multicultural community. Waas, who grew up in Germany and France, had been living in the United States for the past five years, and had embraced her multicultural background.

“Since I grew up in a lot of different places, being around people from different cultures makes me feel like there’s a place for me here,” Waas said. “When I got to Penn State, I was immediately interested in the Global Engagement Community.”

Finding international community

The Global Engagement Community (GEC) is a Learning Living Community (LLC) at Penn State University Park that gives students the opportunity to live closely with others who share similar interests and global experiences. The GEC was founded in 2019 by Nikki Mattson, a Teaching Professor in the Intensive English Communication Program (IECP).

Mattson is now the faculty adviser for the GEC.

“Students were coming to me and telling me about their housing situations,” Mattson said. “Several of them were having really negative experiences. So I was thinking, if we had a special community where people have to apply to live there, then maybe we could elevate living with international students into a chance to be a global citizen.”

The Global Engagement Community is more than just a housing arrangement — it can also accompanied by a first year seminar. The seminar is open to all students (U.S.-based or international), but some seats are reserved for exchange students as a space for them to bring their perspectives. In the course, students learn different ways of navigating cultural differences, with the main project being a student-hosted community activity.

Waas took full advantage of what the GEC had to offer, from participating in various cultural events to walking with a float representing Penn State Global and the GEC in the homecoming parade — something that Waas said was a stand-out moment.

“Walking with my classmates from the first-year seminar in the homecoming parade made me feel like we were one big community," Waas said. "I also got to meet staff from Penn State Global there, and they were really interested in hearing about my experience with GEC. I felt really supported by them … they’ve been a huge supporter of this community.”

A space to connect

For students that want to stay involved with the GEC but choose to live off campus after their first year, there’s also a student organization affiliated with the Global Engagement Community.

The GEC hosts a wide variety of student-led events focused on expanding members’ cultural horizons, such as workshops, guest speakers, and educational trips. GEC president Julien Mutton said one trip in particular stood out to him.

“We got to go to New York City through support from Penn State Global. It was a really cool experience; we got to know the city and even visit the United Nations,” Mutton said. “I made a lot of new friends during that trip as well.”

Though GEC events often have culture in the spotlight, Mutton said the best way of triggering cultural conversations is to offer informal social events in additional to formal learning opportunities, such as ice skating or group meals.

“Sometimes the best way to spark cultural engagement is to host an activity where members can just have fun together,” he said. “Then no one is pressured to discuss anything; it simply comes up organically.”

More than a club

The benefits of being in a multicultural space can also aid students in their future careers. Mutton also pointed out learning to address cultural misconnections and communicating with people from different backgrounds is an essential skill for many workplaces.

“I’ve learned about how to approach people from different cultures and help them feel supported,” Waas said.

To Mutton, who is a student from Brazil, connections made in GEC go beyond simply being in a club.

“The GEC is a place where people can connect with others from different cultures — but I like to think we’re a family. We do so many activities together and just try to understand each other’s differences.” Mutton said. “When you go to a meeting, it’s so diverse that everyone can find their place.”

What’s next?

For now, the GEC is located in Beaver Hall on the third floor. In the future, the LLC will be moving to the basement in Hamilton Hall with support from Residence Life, something that Mattson says will provide more community space for students to use. The GEC will continue to offer students multicultural programming and ways to engage with the global community.

For more information, reach out to Nikki Mattson at nla12@psu.edu or visit the Global Engagement Community website.