International Students Celebrate a Shubh Thanksgiving!

The table talk is international this Thanksgiving in St. Louis. The holiday that first brought Pilgrims and Native Americans together in 1621 is melding more than 13 nations of students at Webster University.
Each year, Dean Benjamin Akande of the School of Business and Technology and his wife Bola host a traditional American feast for a very international crowd. Many guests have homes thousands of miles away. But on Thanksgiving, students now studying at the University can instantly become part of the Akande family and enjoy a home cooked meal.

“At the reception for our international business students we celebrate all we have to be thankful for” says Akande. “It also confirms how much we all have in common.”

According to the Department of Education, the number of student and exchange visas reached an all time high in the U.S. last year. That can be seen at Webster’s School of Business and Technology where hundreds of international students are enrolled in classes of finance, marketing and management. Dozens study at the school’s headquarters in St. Louis. That makes Missouri home for them this holiday.

“Webster keeps growing on me because of such warm and unique events” says MBA student Mandar Pathak. Pathak and his wife are from India. Both are enrolled in the business school. They say connecting with other international students and their educators on a personal level makes them feel connected to the university and looking forward to next year’s Thanksgiving.

That’s something Akande likes to hear. The dean says Webster has always been dedicated to its global community of students. It’s just that this week that commitment is being served up at the dinner table as well as in the classroom. Shubh Thanksgiving! (Hindi)

BACK TO TOP