International Students Assembly - An Honest Review
To all readers, I assure you this one’s a little different from the other blogs on this site. If you know me, you’ll know I’m honest with everything I say and do. My name is Oliver, and I’m from Hong Kong. I’m currently a sophomore studying Economics. I was an intern last year and now I am currently the co-chair of programming at ISA.
And yes, I applied to ISA without really knowing what this club was. Not only did I show up to the interview in a T-shirt and jeans, but I initially had no intention of giving my all to this club. As a freshman and an ISA intern, I was immature and honestly disoriented by the new school environment, as well as the absence of my childhood friends. I locked myself in my own mental prison, stubborn to accept change, bringing out my most annoying introverted self. To my surprise, it was actually this organization that unlocked me from that little slump.
Why? It’s the people. Which also happens to be the main reason I attend meetings. Not just the people within ISA but the people I’ve interacted with through ISA. We’re not the typical student organization nor are we completely work-focused like some other clubs at USC. We function a little more like a family, one willing to share our best and worst moments, yet we offer numerous opportunities to improve your personal and professional skills. Yep, that sounded a little corny but I’ll explain why I said that. As I mentioned earlier, my questionable attire hasn’t brought me very far in life. It wasn't until I met some people like Daniel and Morgan - who not only gave clothing advice but massive resume help. (Morgan even held a resume workshop this year!)
As a co-chair of programming, I had the chance to improve my networking skills as I organized Globefest - an event that featured 6 distinct vendors from 6 continents, spreading global culture across USC. Along with my co-chairs, we went through the process of talking to multiple vendors, even failing to recruit them. Through many failures, we ultimately signed a contract to bring them to USC and organized a very successful ISA event.
If you’ve read the other blogs, you might’ve heard about their favorite moments in ISA, how fun it is, and how they don’t regret joining. While everything they say is true, as a family-like club, I believe it's our imperfections that make us great, as we don’t follow any specific guidelines. With a packed schedule of fulfilling and exciting activities, ISA allows us to approach any event with a free mind. Moreover, we are always willing to always change and improve to bring out the best in all of us. All in all, this club made me realize that many international students went through the same hiccups I did, and there is a lot we can do to help them feel more at home at USC.
Professionalism: 8/10
Workload (as a programming e-board): 7.5/10
People: 9.5/10
Fun Factor: 9/10
Skills practiced: networking, time management, communication, event planning, professionalism
Should you apply: YES