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INTERNATIONAL FOCUS2016-2017Interview with an ISP AlumnaTruc PhamJoining us today is Truc Pham, an alumna of Cypress College’s InternationalStudents Program who transferred to California State University at LongBeach to major in Hospitality Management in the Fall of 2016.Hello Truc! Thank you for takingyour time out of your busyschedule to help us with ourNewsletter! Can you brieflyintroduce yourself to our readers?My name is Truc Pham. I am aninternational student at Cal StateLong Beach (CSULB) from Vietnammajoring in Hospitality Managementand before transferring to CSULB, Iwas a part of the InternationalStudents’ Program here at CypressCollege.Let’s go back to your first days atCypress. Most of our previousstudents were initially impressedby the duck pond. Can you tell uswhy you made the decision toattend Cypress?(Laughs) The pond is indeed verynice and it certainly made theenvironment at Cypress stand outfrom the other schools, which is oneof the primary reasons why Idecided to attend Cypress. I lovebeautiful settings and I think thatpleasing environment can trulyimprove the quality of our work.That’s why I chose Cypress, inaddition to Cypress being close tomy home here in the U.S. and a verydiverse campus.That’s wonderful! Before youcame to Cypress though, whatmade you want to study abroad?I have always wanted to studyabroad since my days at Universityin Vietnam. I love to travel, to learnmore about different cultures, togarner new experiences for myselfand to broaden my perspectives. Iactually have studied abroadpreviously in Germany and I loved it.You must have had some reallyinteresting experiences from bothyour time in Germany and atCypress. Can you tell us aboutwhat was different for you whenyou were here at Cypress?The educational setting here in theU.S. is dramatically different fromthat of Vietnam. Instructors hereallow students to have morefreedom to actively participate anddiscuss the learning material withother classmates during classmeetings, which does not happen inVietnam. My classmates are veryopen-minded and nobody will judgeyou if you are an older student. I alsolike that Cypress has a lot ofactivities organized by differentclubs and organizations on campusevery week.Sounds like you truly enjoyedyour time at Cypress. Can you tellus more about your experiencewhile you were at Cypress?I have absolutely no complaint at all!Cypress has a wonderful faculty andcurriculum, especially for HospitalityManagement. The professors wereextremely helpful during class andoutside of class. Cypress is actuallythe only school within OrangeCounty to have its own restaurantfor its Hospitality Managementstudents. As you just said, I truly didenjoy my time at Cypress.-6-Oh my! I’m very happy that youhad such a wonderful time here!Can you tell us a bit about yourexperience as a HospitalityManagement major at CSULB?It certainly is different from myexperience at Cypress, but in a goodway. The student body at CSULB iseven more diverse than Cypress andmy classes are now much biggerthan my old classes at Cypress.However, my professors are stillextremely helpful. They are also verydiverse as well: I have a professorfrom China who worked in luxuryhotels in Shanghai for most of hislife, and another from Japan whospecializes in Japanese dining!That sounds amazing! I am elatedto hear that despite yourtransition from Cypress to CSULB,you are still enjoying yourexperience studying abroad. Doyou have any secret advice thatyou would like to let our readersin on?(Laughs) There’s no secret here. Forstudents who are thinking of or areabout to study abroad, justremember to actively participate inactivities, think outside of the box,make new friends and keep an openmind. Oh, and don’t forget to havefun also!- Article by: Thy Le

INTERNATIONAL FOCUS2016-2017ISP Display for the 50thAnniversary of Cypress College-7-

INTERNATIONAL FOCUS2016-2017ISP Display for the 50thAnniversary of Cypress College-8-

INTERNATIONAL FOCUS2016-2017Cypress College International ClubThe purpose of theInternational Club is toprovide a forum forthe interaction betweenAmerican andinternational students, topromote culturalunderstanding andenrichment of all studentsthrough social andeducational events andactivities, and to assistnew students in adaptingto college life.International ClubOfficers Spring 2017(Top left to bottom right)Manuel Beltran - ICC RepThinh Do - ICC RepPheng Ang Chiv - SecretaryQuang Le - WebmasterShiori Takato - Vice PresidentPhuong Nguyen - PresidentMei Muramatsu - Treasurer-9-

INTERNATIONAL FOCUS2016-2017Cypress College International ClubSocial Eventsn WeeEducatiolaniota6InternFall 201kKindercarminataSpring 2017WorldSpring Fest2017TagLaser 017g2Sprin- 10 -

INTERNATIONAL FOCUS2016-2017Congratulations to the 2016-2017ISP Scholarship Winners!Jung, Somang(City University NY, Queens College)Rey, John(AA)Le, Thy(Ithaca College)Im, Junhyeok(UC Irvine)Nguyen, Duyen(CSU Long Beach)Tu, Phan(AS)- 11 -

INTERNATIONAL FOCUS2016-2017ISP Office Student AssistantsHung Anh Phan - VietnamI have been working at the ISP office for two semesters. For most international students, having an opportunityto work on campus is a way to boost their college portfolio and, well frankly, to earn some extra cash. Formyself, I would rather see this opportunity as a blessing in spite of those perks. I have gained multipleprofessional skills and learned so many things here that I could not ask for a better place to be.This was my first official job so I didn’t know much or what to expect. Luckily, my supervisors - Yongmi andGina - are so caring and considerate, which creates such a friendly and warm environment to work in. Undertheir supervision, I have grown into a better version of myself professionally. Not only do I have wonderfulsupervisors, I also have exceptional co-workers, John and Vanessa. They are amazingly talented and they havehelped me a ton when I first began working here. Last but not least, working at the ISP office has given me achance to communicate and befriend with students from all over the world, which is by far one of the mostmemorable experiences in my life.John Rey - GermanyAfter working here for over a year now I havelearned quite a lot. Before I started here as astudent assistant, I have never worked in anoffice setting so it was all very new to me. Beinga student assistant, actually turned out to bemore difficult than I expected since it involvesmany different tasks and every application andevery student is different from the next. I amglad that I was able to acquire new skills in sucha nice and friendly environment. It’s great tocome into contact with so many differentpeople from all over the world with manydifferent cultural backgrounds and help themwith their college experience here in the U.S. Ithas been a lot of fun to work in theInternational Students Office and I willdefinitely miss working with Yongmi, Gina,Hung, and Vanessa.Thy (Vanessa) Le - VietnamIn the spring of 2016, I started my first part-time job here at the ISP Office as a Student Assistant and it hasbeen an experience that is one-of-a-kind. As a Student Assistant, I was tasked with a wide variety ofresponsibilities, from working on reports to customer service, from which I was able to improve on myproblem solving strategies as well as interpersonal communication skills. I was able to encounter studentsfrom all corners of the world and to listen to the stories, culture and language of where they came from. Butmost importantly, I was able to help them pursue their education here in the U.S. so that they may all get closerto achieving their lifelong goals.- 12 -

INTERNATIONAL FOCUS2016-2017On Leaving CypressA Conversation with Somang (Iosef) JungWhen I first met Iosef, immediately, I thought that he was from Korea.Obviously. Take a look at his picture and see for yourself. Guess where he wasborn and grew up in (hint: not Korea). Wait.what? I know, I was quitesurprised to find out that too. Iosef was actually born in Uzbekistan, and hegrew up in three different countries: Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan.At this point, you probably are wondering the same question as I was, “So where exactly are those countries andwhat is it like living there?” Thanks to Google, I mean elementary Geography, I was able to locate Uzbekistan,Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan, which are below Russia. Anyway, Iosef admitted that it was quite different livingthere because those countries are still developing. As a result, you haven’t gotten a chance yet to experience all ofthe modern technology and advances from a developed country. Here’s an interesting fact about Iosef: he isquadrilingual - and yes that is also a real word - which means he can speak English, Russian, Kazakh, and Koreanfluently. Man, how cool is that?Iosef decided to pursue his college education in the U.S. and he chose Cypress College as a stepping stonefor his education. When Iosef first arrived at our campus, he was so amazed and impressed with our facilities,technology, and of course the pond - a signature landmark of Cypress College. Iosef majors in Illustration, whichis kind of similar to Graphic Design. His favorite class was Finite Math taught by Professor Franco. During hisfirst semester, Iosef had a couple of difficulties which are common for freshmen students: how to be moreindependent, responsible, and flexible due to the fact that every professor has his/her preferences and syllabi,and of course they will give you all kind of assignments. Luckily, Iosef adapted to the new environment quicklyso those difficulties weren’t such a big problem for him.When asked about living away from home, Iosef gave a very positive response. He had a diversebackground and experience from living in multiple countries so he blended in effortlessly to the Californianlifestyle. Also, Iosef really likes the weather here because it’s so warm. Me too! It is actually quite cold inKazakhstan. When asked about how he got to school everyday, he simply said, “I walk.” I was like, “Wow. Thisguy is amazing. He speaks 4 languages and has been walking to school for almost 2 years?” Surprisingly, Iosef didnot get homesick at all. He has made a lot of good friends throughout his time here so I assume that is whathelped him overcome homesickness.Anyway, congratulations to Iosef for getting accepted to City University of New York (CUNY)! He is veryexcited about moving to New York and living there with his brother and sister. In fact, he stayed there for 3months during his 9th grade so this feels more like a come back than a beginning. I asked that if he could go backagain in time, would he still choose Cypress and why. Iosef laughed and he said that he would definitely chooseCypress again. There is nothing in this world that he would trade for all of the wonderful friendships andexperiences at Cypress as well as in California. Iosef, on behalf of the International Students Program office, Iwish you nothing but the best for your future education in New York!- Interview & Article by Hung Anh Phan- 13 -

INTERNATIONAL FOCUS2016-2017Year-End Celebration: May 4th, 2017- 14 -

Resources for International StudentsHealth Center - (714) 484-7361The Cypress College Health Center is a full service clinic, which means that services are provided by a FamilyPractice/Internal Medicine Physician, Certified Family Nurse Practitioners, Registered Nurse and MFCCTherapist. Almost all services are covered by student health fees. Services include:- First Aid & Emergency Care- Health Assessments (blood pressure screening & vision screening)- Personal Health Counseling & Referrals- Family Planning Services and many other servicesLearning Resource Center (LRC) - (714) 484-7193The LRC offers the following services to currently enrolled Cypress College students:- Tutorial Services- English Success Center (ESC)- Mathematics Learning Center (MLC)- Supplemental Instruction (SI)Transfer Center - (714) 484-7182The Transfer Center assists students in their transition from Cypress College to a four-year institution.Services include:- Individual counseling- Guidance in choosing a transfer institution- Transfer Planning Classes, Workshops, and Assistance- Transfer Fairs featuring University Representatives- Scholarship Information and many other servicesNorth Orange County Community College DistrictCheryl A. Marshall, ChancellorBoard of Trustees: Ryan Bent, Stephen Blount,Jeffrey. P. Brown, Barbara Dunsheath, Ed Lopez,Molly McClanahan, and Jacqueline RodarteCypress CollegeDr. Robert Simpson, President9200 Valley View St. Cypress, CA 90630www.cypresscollege.edu(714) 484-7000

Kim H. Korea CSULB Nursing Kim M. Korea CSUF Business Administration Kim G. Korea UCI Psychology Ko S. Korea CSUF Business Kuruppu U. Sri Lanka CSULB Accounting Lee H. Korea CSULB Human Development Lee D. Korea UCB Media Studies Lee M. Korea CSULB International Business Lee Y. Korea CSUF Early Childhood