This story was originally published in Issue Three of the Spring 2020 Grizzly Magazine, pg 6.
By: Julia Nightengale.
Being a normal college student is hard enough but imagine attending college in a different country that doesn't speak your native language with an ocean dividing you from your family.
This is the reality that many international college students face while attending Butler Co munity College. Experiencing so many different things for the first time can be very intimidating, especially when the support system that you are used to is not available. Bob Broyles, an anatomy and physiology professor at Butler Community College makes it a point in his teaching career to go the extra step for his international students.
Broyle's has been teaching at Butler for 19 years. His interest in international students actually began while he was in college and had an Iranian roommate, as well as the friends he made all over Latin America because he was able to speak fluent Spanish. Before he started teaching, Broyles and his wife actually hosted an international Butler student for a year from Israel.
The Broyles have no biological children of their own but have "adopted" many students into their family. A Kenyan student named John invited him to his graduation party where they met John's mother who asked Broyles to watch over her son and his sister while they were in America. A few years after that, they adopted a Mongolian student into their lives as well.
In the classroom, Broyles keeps an eye on international students' progress and maintains an open line of communication to help these students succeed to the best of their ability. Broyles also shows an active interest in the culture of international students while also helping them navigate the new one they have entered into. For example, Broyles helped a student recently locate a local medical supply company so they could send home masks to their family due to the coronavirus outbreak. Broyles believes it is very important to support all of his students, and international students don't have their parents, friends, or other traditional mentors readily accessible to confide in. Being a college student is already a huge life transition, and it's even more difficult in a country where the only thing you know about the culture is from Hollywood.
"If we earn students' trust, if we go out of our way to meet them at the point of their need, then we can truly make a difference in their lives," Broyles says. "I have seen this manifested time and again in the lives of students that I have made contact with. In all honesty I do not make myself available soley to the international students in my classes; I am available to all my students both academically and emotionally to encourage them on the reach their goals in spite of adversity."
Jenny Pham, an international student from Vietnam who formed a close relationship with Broyles through taking his class, says she used to stay after class to ask questions because she felt more comfortable doing it one. They would discuss the different cultures of Vietnam and America, and Pham felt more comfortable and open because of his interest.
"I have become more communicative because I know someone is listening, so I feel like I have more confidence to talk and ask questions," Pham says. "Last semester, I didn't have a study group because I was so introverted. After taking his class, I began asking other students to study and now I have made American friends."
Eighty percent of international students are never invited into an American home, so Broyles makes it a point to hold celebrations at his home for international students. For Christmas, he invited ten students to is home and they participated in cutting down a tree and decorating it at home together. They also had a traditional Christmas meal and s'mores.
For many of the students, this was their first American Christmas although they had been in America for a number of years. Broyles also has an annual meal held at the end of year for all of his international students as a celebration.
When I have been overseas, in every country that I have visited," Broyles says, "I have been invited into homes to share a meal with a local's family. This is just good hospitality. It is a shame that we, as Americans, do not do the same."
Broyles wants international students to leave America knowing they had a rich and diverse experience. The Broyles have even taken students on trips across the country to experience America. The Broyles have intervened with tricky landlords, found lodging for students when they are stuck in a blizzard 300 miles from home, and taught students how to drive.
More simply, they have been a shoulder to cry on and am mentor to help understand and thrive in American culture. They have helped students in their personal relationships and even helped students to plan weddings.
Broyle's relationships with international students don't just end after they leave Butler Community College; he makes it a point to continue the friendship. Many of these students continue education in the area, and if not, the friendships don't completely disappear. He also considers that he wants to be available to friends or family members who might decide to attend Butler as well.
"We maintain close contact with international students around the world, which has allowed us to help them with their schoolwork, to help them improve their English skills, and to mentor them through life experiences," Broyles says. "As we have watched them grow into confident young adults, we have developed close family bonds that remain strong through the years."
The relationships that Broyles has formed have also had a positive impact on his life in many ways. He has received first-hand knowledge about other cultures and different perspectives about the world; and although these are important and expected, Broyles says the most important aspect of his relationships with international students is the deep and lasting friendships.
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