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“People can only live fully by helping others to live. When you give life to friends you truly live. Cultures can only realize their further richness by honoring other traditions. And only by respecting natural life can humanity continue to exist.” – Daisaku Ikeda
It began in the fall semester of 2006 with three students and a question.
Stephanie Delo, an American undergraduate in her second year at VCU met Nito and Florence, two international students seeking ways to immerse themselves into this new, and sometimes puzzling, culture. Their burgeoning relationship eventually led to the foundational question, “How do we meet more Americans?” spurring Delo to look into available help. She soon discovered that no student organizations’ sole purpose was to bring American and international students together.
She found out about the Office of International Education and got in touch with Wick Stansbury, coordinator for International Student and Scholar Services, and they began discussing plans to set up such a group.
OIE already had a Conversation Partner program, but its participants were eager to get together beyond the required weekly one-on-one meetings. Under Delo’s leadership and Wick’s advising, an inaugural potluck was organized setting the first stone for the Council for American and International Student Affairs. The first event turned out to be a popular success with dancing, food and 75 attendees.
The following spring in 2007, CAISA was officially born.
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