Author: Giselle Lee

Despite uncertain job prospects amid stringent visa restrictions and policy changes in the U.S., graduating international students at Baylor remain hopeful and faithful as they navigate the next chapter of their lives.

This April, the OEL welcomed its newest cohort of Vardaman Scholars, formerly known as Global Engage Fellows. The program, intended for rising sophomores or juniors, lasts for the duration of the student’s undergraduate career at Baylor. The program structure requires students to take two courses under the OEL’s Philanthropy & Public Service Program before undertaking an engaged learning project and becoming an engaged learning student leader.

The event, sponsored by the Asian Leaders Network Waco and Fuzz Lab Waco, featured performances from numerous Asian student organizations and individuals across campus.

Oftentimes we’re haunted by our failures. The cycle begins with feeling inadequate, even when we’ve exhausted ourselves with a never-ending list of goals. Yet the true failure is not what we aren’t able to accomplish; it’s failing to notice or celebrate every win that comes our way.

The Baylor Korean Student Association held its annual Hanin Gala Sunday evening in the SUB Barfield Drawing Room, which promoted greater cultural awareness and inclusion for all students on campus.

Students gathered for Lu’au 2026, an annual celebration hosted by the Baylor Hawaii Club, in the SUB Barfield Drawing Room Friday evening. Despite the event’s sudden rearrangements due to the weather, attendees enjoyed a night of Hawaiian food and performances with a Texan twist.

Students gathered to celebrate Better Together’s last Neighbor Night of the semester Tuesday evening in collaboration with the Indian Subcontinent Student Association and Delta Kappa Delta.

Beneath the flashy videos and fun pins, a disconnected relationship persists between student government and international students, where opinions over how inclusive the organization truly is varies.

Harumatsuri, an annual Japanese festival celebration for the arrival of spring, was held by Baylor’s Japanese Student Association Friday night on Fountain Mall and featured traditional games, crafts and food stalls, as well as traditional performances. The evening served as a reminder for attendees to embrace new cultures with curiosity to foster better cultural understanding among the Baylor and Waco communities.

The Baylor African Student Association held its annual cultural showcase, Afrique, on Saturday, offering attendees a night of traditional and modern African culture. Student organizers said they hoped the event would help cultural diversity become a medium to foster understanding and unity among Baylor students.

The Department of History hosted a roundtable discussion themed “Mind, Body, Spirit: American Women in Journalism and Health” on Thursday afternoon as part of its 31st annual Women’s History Month series. Featured guest speakers presented their findings on the exclusion of women’s importance in major historical developments in journalism and healthcare, and emphasized the need to acknowledge women’s roles in society.

With a message by Dr. Jacqueline C. Rivers, executive director and senior fellow for social science and policy of the Seymour Institute for Black Church and Policy Studies, Global Bridges held its inaugural chapel service on Tuesday, outlining growing secularism in the U.S., the shift of Christian influence from the global north to the global south and the importance of remembering God.

The 98th Academy Awards concluded an exciting but rocky awards season this year. Despite its prestige, the awards show is structurally problematic; in order for it to maintain its integrity as a critically acclaimed awards show, it needs to improve on areas such as voting strategy and diversity.

The International Student and Scholar Services team brought a group of Baylor international students to New York over spring break, focusing on showing them a wider perspective of America’s “melting pot” culture.

Great uncertainty looms for international students as U.S. Rep. Greg Steube proposed the EXILE Act in Congress on Feb. 10, a bill that could eliminate visa programs that allow foreign nationals to work in the U.S. after graduation as early as 2027.

Students learned cultural and religious respect as they gathered for Iftar on Friday evening in Cashion Lobby. Organized by Intercultural Engagement and the Center for Global Engagement, students broke their fast as per the customs of Ramadan.

During Dr Pepper Hour Tuesday afternoon, the Modern Languages and Cultures Department gave students the opportunity to learn about different cultures through languages.

As Sing approaches, many multicultural organizations on campus continue to fight to make the supposed “all-university” event more inclusive for the entire student body.

International students at the annual Celebration of First Year Excellence said the university’s resources have helped them transition into life at Baylor while chasing academic success.

Students who ventured to Penland Dining Hall on Thursday afternoon were greeted with red lanterns and red envelopes filled with spices in celebration of the upcoming Lunar New Year.

Dr. Nana Osei-Opare shared stories in “Socialist De-Colony,” his debut book that outlined Ghana’s most important historical timeline after becoming an independent country and how student voice played a major role in resisting the socialist Ghanaian state.

Baylor welcomed Spanish professors from Yale University, Boston College and Washington University in St. Louis to discuss their new books and how refusing to acknowledge the past has caused modern Spanish society to experience “cultural amnesia.”

The viral Adidas Tang jacket started a trend of incorporating traditional Chinese design features in modern fashion. However, it comes with a new wave of debate as to why Chinese culture is not being credited properly when selling Chinese-inspired clothing, creating complicated questions in balancing fleeting trends and true appreciation of culture.

Now that the spring semester is officially underway, international students often look to venture beyond Baylor to experience life in the U.S., particularly in Waco. The Global Friendship Program, a long-standing Baylor program, continues to cultivate a culture of understanding and adventure for students from across the world.

The Black Student Success Initiative and Black Faculty and Staff Association co-hosted Forward Together on Tuesday night in Marrs McLean Science Building to discuss descriptive representation. The goal was to encourage Black students and students of color to navigate struggles at Baylor and to prepare for life after graduation by hosting a career-readiness and leadership panel discussion.

Women of Waco’s inaugural networking conference, Level Up 2026, aims at providing women with a support network that fosters more inclusive workplaces and a community of women to thrive in professional careers.

After nearly 30 years of serving the city, former Assistant City Manager and Chief of Police Ryan Holt as officially been appointed as the city manager of Waco. Citing the importance of collective impact, Holt hopes to engage through thoughtful, strategic ways to move the city forward, including deepening ties with Baylor.

While many crossed city or state lines to get to Baylor, others crossed oceans and looked for ways to make Baylor home thousands of miles away.

Data from the National Association of Professional Organizers shows that disorganization can lead to a 20% loss in productivity. According to Mental Health America, a clean living space helps promote a daily sense of calmness and control in your life.

In a recent conference, Vice President of Student Life Dr. Sharra Hynes noted that Baylor not only welcomed one of its academically strongest freshmen classes, but also “the largest number of international students that we’ve ever had in an undergraduate class.”