Sofia Cantú Sauceda 
Sofía Cantú Sauceda/THE RIDER
UTRGV celebrates International Education Week, honoring nearly 1,200 international students from 75 different countries and welcomes over 30 research scholars as enrollment rose 3.5% for international students since last fall.
The International Education Week took place last week, and it is an initiative between the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Department of Education to highlight the benefits of international education and exchange worldwide, according to its website.
The U.S. Department of State’s website states the initiative is aimed to prepare Americans for a global environment and invite future international leaders to study and exchange ideas.
At UTRGV, International Student Services hosted a week-long series of events on both campuses and online for students, faculty, staff and the community.
“Together, we continue to send a powerful message to the world that UTRGV is a place where cultures connect, ideas grow and global citizens are empowered,” said Samantha Lopez, director of International Student Services.
She added each year, during IEW, there are distinguished guests who are selected for their service on international education.
During this year’s opening ceremony, one of the recognized guests was Justin Velten, CEO and co-founder of Go Culture.
According to its website, Go Culture is a workforce risk research and technology firm that created TeamShield, an AI-enabled workforce risk mitigation platform that detects hidden risks and gives team leaders actionable insights.
“One of the primary things we do [is] help international students understand that there is a common thread with anybody,” Velten said.
He said the recognition was meaningful to him because he has been involved in the research for 20 years.
“It’s been an honor to do that,” Velten said. “We’re glad to be able to turn that into something that’s helpful.”
Lopez said, in 2018, her office implemented Go Culture to help international students with their competency levels and support them on the start of their journey of “cultural, academic and life adjustment.”
Also recognized was Maria Leonard, assistant professor of practice at the Robert C. Vackar College of Business and Entrepreneurship.
During her speech, Leonard said she was honored to receive the recognition and it was meaningful to her.
“I was once an international student in this very institution,” she said. “This office helped me find my way, build a warm community and thrive in a new country.”
Leonard added the help from the office was very “transformative and essential.”
“When we engage students in international contexts, we do more than just teaching content,” she said. “We help them turn uncertainty into action and curiosity into capability.”
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