by Laura Valeri & Brittany Then from the ISSS
In celebration of International Education month this November, Stevens hosted an eclectic variety of activities on and off campus. As part of the initiatives for this special month, 20 of Stevens’ very own International Exchange Visitors volunteered at the New York City Marathon. The event was facilitated by the Department of State as an opportunity for cultural enrichment with the added thrill of cheering 50,000 runners from 120 countries participating in the world’s biggest marathon.
Our exchange visitors cheered and hydrated hundreds of participating athletes from the Mile-5 fluid station in Brooklyn. Representing four continents and a dozen countries, our volunteers appropriately matched the diverse spirit of the NYC Marathon which attracts runners from every corner of the world. Stevens Immigration Advisor Laura Valeri facilitated the event for our visitors and shared, “There is something very magical about the NYC marathon; the entire city is celebrating, the support and the energy of the crowd for runners of all abilities and skills was unbelievable.” As someone who previously ran in the marathon twice, Laura “can definitely say that New Yorkers make you feel like a rock star.” Marathon volunteers are an essential part of the magic, ensuring that things run smoothly for both spectators and runners completing the 26.2-mile course.
“As an athlete, I normally enjoy the preparation and execution of an activity. However, this time I was at the opposite side of the field,” shared Martin, an undergraduate student studying at Stevens this semester thanks to an exchange agreement between Stevens and the University of Amsterdam. “The number of nationalities involved gave us a feeling that we belonged and when the main group of runners started to come, you could feel the energy from the runners being adopted by the volunteers.”
Nicholas, a Visiting Research Scholar from Kenya completing his Ph.D. in South Africa, attended the welcome reception for volunteers that took place the Saturday before the marathon at the United States delegation at the UN. He was the lucky winner of a fancy marathon jacket, raffled among many participants. Scholar Saskia from Germany avidly recalled, “the best part of volunteering was definitely handing beverages to the runners and motivating them to get to the finish line. So many people have thanked us for being there as volunteers – a great feeling!”
Our exchange visitors had an epic time soaking up the marathon’s lively energy while discovering the spirit of voluntarism amidst the vibrant streets of New York City. Many thanks to the Department of State, Stevens International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS), the Office of International Programs, and the International Education Month Committee that made this experience possible.
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