International Student Launches Career Networking Site Mapis
2022-07-24
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1Diana Vicezar of Paraguay is heading into her third year at Pitzer College in Claremont, California.
2Early in the pandemic, Vicezar could not come to the United States.
3She spent her first year of college learning by video from the South American country.
4During that time, Vicezar said she talked with over 100 international students studying in the U.S.
5She found out that many experienced difficulties while looking for internships or work.
6Besides visa restrictions, they said there was a lack of professional development resources at the schools.
7Some did not know about the Optional Practical Training program or OPT.
8It is a U.S. government program that permits international students to stay in the U.S. for one more year after graduation and work in their field of study.
9"I have met with many students who didn't know about OPT or who didn't know how to write an American-style resume, who didn't know who to reach out to for help. And they have to go back to their countries because, you know, they didn't have enough time to work on their applications or do their research because it was too late."
10That is when Vicezar started working on a website designed to help international students with internships and job hunting in the U.S.
11After almost two years, Mapis was launched last February.
12The site is currently open to a small number of users.
13Vicezar said she hopes to make it available to all international students later this year.
14And she is building the website while working on an internship program at the technology company Meta.
15One professional who knows what it is like to be an international student is Eunkyu Lee who came from South Korea in the 1980s.
16He is now a professor and a leader of Syracuse University's business school.
17Lee said many international students know that it will be harder for them to find jobs than American students if they want to stay in the U.S.
18As a result, they start learning about visa and work programs early on.
19He said it is a good idea to join a networking group centered on international students such as Mapis, along with a more general service such as LinkedIn.
20"If you don't have that kind of network or mentoring, then the only resource you may have is just the official job posting which receives hundreds of resumes. ... And there, it may be really difficult for international students to stand out."
21Vicezar agreed that it is important for international students to hear from successful people who were once new to the U.S.
22It helps them feel more confident about their own abilities.
23In 2022, Mapis organized several online gatherings to connect students with those working in business, journalism and technology.
24Vicezar told VOA that learning English changed her life.
25She said she would not be where she is today without a scholarship from the English Access Microscholarship Program in Paraguay.
26"I always say, you know, like, I was born again when I was 15, when I got this scholarship. ... My whole life changed after that. Coming to the U.S. for college also opened other doors for me, like the internship I have right now and also creating Mapis. So, yeah, I always motivate people to study English."
27Vicezar also attended the Education USA Academy at Temple University in Philadelphia one summer, where she lived and learned with Americans and other international students.
28Beyond STEM, or subjects in science, technology, engineering and math, Vicezar wants Mapis to be a place where international students can learn about business, social programs and government.
29In fact, Lee, the Syracuse professor, said community service projects are a great way for international students to expand their networks and learn to work with Americans.
30"It may not be directly related with their major or directly related with their internship or career opportunity they are pursuing. But kind of experiencing themselves that they can add value to the community around in the U.S. society, I think it's a very important part to develop their own self-identity and confidence."
31Vicezar agreed. "After they go back to their countries, they usually make a big impact," she said.
32I'm Dan Friedell.
1Diana Vicezar of Paraguay is heading into her third year at Pitzer College in Claremont, California. 2Early in the pandemic, Vicezar could not come to the United States. She spent her first year of college learning by video from the South American country. 3During that time, Vicezar said she talked with over 100 international students studying in the U.S. She found out that many experienced difficulties while looking for internships or work. Besides visa restrictions, they said there was a lack of professional development resources at the schools. 4Some did not know about the Optional Practical Training program or OPT. It is a U.S. government program that permits international students to stay in the U.S. for one more year after graduation and work in their field of study. 5"I have met with many students who didn't know about OPT or who didn't know how to write an American-style resume, who didn't know who to reach out to for help. And they have to go back to their countries because, you know, they didn't have enough time to work on their applications or do their research because it was too late." 6That is when Vicezar started working on a website designed to help international students with internships and job hunting in the U.S. 7After almost two years, Mapis was launched last February. The site is currently open to a small number of users. Vicezar said she hopes to make it available to all international students later this year. And she is building the website while working on an internship program at the technology company Meta. 8Importance of networking 9One professional who knows what it is like to be an international student is Eunkyu Lee who came from South Korea in the 1980s. He is now a professor and a leader of Syracuse University's business school. 10Lee said many international students know that it will be harder for them to find jobs than American students if they want to stay in the U.S. As a result, they start learning about visa and work programs early on. 11He said it is a good idea to join a networking group centered on international students such as Mapis, along with a more general service such as LinkedIn. 12"If you don't have that kind of network or mentoring, then the only resource you may have is just the official job posting which receives hundreds of resumes. ... And there, it may be really difficult for international students to stand out." 13Vicezar agreed that it is important for international students to hear from successful people who were once new to the U.S. It helps them feel more confident about their own abilities. In 2022, Mapis organized several online gatherings to connect students with those working in business, journalism and technology. 14Importance of learning English 15Vicezar told VOA that learning English changed her life. She said she would not be where she is today without a scholarship from the English Access Microscholarship Program in Paraguay. 16"I always say, you know, like, I was born again when I was 15, when I got this scholarship. ... My whole life changed after that. Coming to the U.S. for college also opened other doors for me, like the internship I have right now and also creating Mapis. So, yeah, I always motivate people to study English." 17Vicezar also attended the Education USA Academy at Temple University in Philadelphia one summer, where she lived and learned with Americans and other international students. 18Beyond STEM, or subjects in science, technology, engineering and math, Vicezar wants Mapis to be a place where international students can learn about business, social programs and government. 19In fact, Lee, the Syracuse professor, said community service projects are a great way for international students to expand their networks and learn to work with Americans. 20"It may not be directly related with their major or directly related with their internship or career opportunity they are pursuing. But kind of experiencing themselves that they can add value to the community around in the U.S. society, I think it's a very important part to develop their own self-identity and confidence." 21Vicezar agreed. "After they go back to their countries, they usually make a big impact," she said. 22I'm Dan Friedell. 23Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. 24Write to us in the Comments Section and visit our Facebook page. 25_________________________________________________________________ 26Words in This Story 27internship-n. an opportunity for students to get work experience, often during college 28style-n. the way in which something is done 29resume-n. a short document describing your education, work history and accomplishments you give to an employer 30application-n. a request to be considered for something such as admission to school or a job 31network-n. a group of people who are connected to each other, often in the same work field 32mentor-n. an experienced person who can offer guidance and support 33scholarship-n. money given to someone to pay for school or an educational experience 34motivate-v. to give someone energy or encouragement to do something 35pursue-v. the act of chasing or going after something 36impact-n. to make a difference or have an effect or change something 37______________________________________________________________ 38What do you think of this story? We want to hear from you. 39We have a new comment system. Here is how it works: 40Write your comment in the box. 41Under the box, you can see four images for social media accounts. They are for Disqus, Facebook, Twitter and Google. 42Click on one image and a box appears. Enter the login for your social media account. Or you may create one on the Disqus system. It is a blue circle with "D" on it. It is free. 43Each time you return to comment on the Learning English site, you can use your account and see your comments and replies to them. Our comment policy is here.