{"id":7543,"date":"2023-11-20T17:33:59","date_gmt":"2023-11-20T17:33:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.luthersem.edu\/story\/?p=7543"},"modified":"2023-12-05T15:55:34","modified_gmt":"2023-12-05T15:55:34","slug":"preparing-a-place-for-international-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.luthersem.edu\/story\/2023\/11\/20\/preparing-a-place-for-international-students\/","title":{"rendered":"Preparing a place for international students"},"content":{"rendered":"

Meet Director of International Student and Scholar Affairs Chenar E. E. Howard<\/span><\/h2>\n

In her first semester as director of International Student and Scholar Affairs, Chenar E. E. Howard<\/strong> and her team worked hard to make sure all of Luther Seminary\u2019s international students felt welcomed and ready to pursue a dream long prayed for.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen they landed, I wanted somebody at the airport to greet them and get them on campus,\u201d Howard said. \u201cI wanted them to walk into their dorm room with the bed already made and towels in their closets\u2014something that says, \u2018We\u2019re so happy you\u2019re here.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Howard\u2019s ties to Luther Seminary run deep. Her family moved to St. Paul when her father, Dale Howard \u201893 M.Div.<\/strong>, started his degree at Luther. As a 12-year-old, Howard spent weekends alongside her dad studying in the Gullixson Hall library. Her father, a child and grandchild of Methodist missionaries to India, naturally formed connections with the international community at Luther.<\/p>\n

Howard has served the seminary\u2019s international students for 16 years in various roles. She was recently promoted to director of International Student and Scholar Affairs upon Marie Hayes\u2019<\/strong> retirement.<\/p>\n

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On what to keep in mind when working with international students:<\/h2>\n

\u201cFor me, it\u2019s just the knowledge of the huge sacrifice they have made to be here. And not just them, but their families and the churches or the institutions they serve. It\u2019s a lot to get here, too\u2014not just going through the admissions process, but being granted a visa has also become a whole lot harder coming out of the pandemic.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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On what international students bring to the Luther community:<\/h2>\n

\u201cThe richness of their experience and the leadership that they can bring to our classroom\u2014you can\u2019t measure that. Many international students have already been Christian public leaders for years. Many of them have already been ordained. They\u2019ve already served as pastors; they\u2019ve had congregations. Furthering their education is not for themselves, but for their own church bodies and communities. It\u2019s about the connection of the global church.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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On the significance of Luther\u2019s global reach:<\/h2>\n

\u201cOur alumni community is so widespread. One of our students right now is Russian. With the war that\u2019s happening, his ministry now is dealing essentially with refugees. If you talk with our Nigerian students, Muslim-Christian relations are their realities. When we talk about the global church to our students, the conversation becomes about who they sat next to in class. Many students return home after graduation, and some also end up staying in the United States and are called to immigrant churches. For some immigrant churches, to have a pastor from their own context who speaks the language and knows the culture is really significant.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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On what she\u2019s focusing on in her new role:<\/h2>\n

\u201cI would start by saying that I have such a strong, firm foundation that Marie Hayes created in the department and in mentoring me. An area of growth is building on the seminary\u2019s work with new student engagement. That\u2019s the communication time frame from admission to orientation to make sure new students start well. Also, I know people have really wanted to put together alumni gatherings in different regions of the world. I\u2019d really like to find ways to empower them to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

This interview had been edited for length and clarity.<\/em><\/p>\n

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Winter 2023 Articles<\/h2>\n