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My Easter Story

Growing up in Korea, Easter felt like a rhythm I could always count on. It wasn’t just one Sunday — it was a whole week of services, songs, and anticipation. I remember how the church would fill with the scent of lilies, the choir singing a little louder, and the sound of my best friend Read more…

Embracing the Journey: Learning to Love My Cross-Cultural Identity

Growing up as both Japanese and Brazilian, I have always felt like I belonged everywhere and nowhere at the same time. The uniqueness of my heritage often sparked curiosity, but it also invited uncomfortable questions. “Where are you really from?” “Do you feel more Brazilian or Japanese?” These questions, though often well-meaning, left me feeling Read more…

Never Too Far from Home

Hey, IFI friends! 🤗 We hope you’re settling down this holiday season and getting ready for the new year. To wrap up 2024 (pun intended), we brought a heartfelt, reflective article from one of our beloved IFI staff members, Mary Kim! Mary works as the Ministry Coordinator at IFI NYC and has a beautiful, multicultural Read more…

4 Tips for Navigating Life After College

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4: 6-7 From grade school to college, everybody looks forward to finishing school. After Read more…

Navigating Goodbyes: 7 Tips for International Students

“Never say goodbye,” said J.M. Barrie in his book Peter Pan, “because goodbye means going away and going away means forgetting.” But the truth is, we’ll all have to say goodbye during our lives. Some of you might be getting ready to say goodbye right now. If you’ve finished your studies, you might be preparing Read more…

How to Get a Job in America as an International Student

Spring semester is in full swing, which often means soon-to-be-graduates are getting ready to join the workforce. But how do you go about searching for jobs in the US as an international student? 🤔 We interviewed two international students, Elaine and Wendy, to help you navigate this challenging process. They both studied at OSU’s business Read more…

Balancing Academics and Social Life: Interview with Alexys

Meet Alexis!  Hola! I am from a little town called Mogotes in Colombia. 🇨🇴 I used to be a professor but decided to quit and embark on a journey to learn English. I’ve been to Australia and Europe for my education and finally got a grant for my doctorate at OSU. My main interest of Read more…

Strategies for Managing Academic Stress: Prioritizing Physical Well-being (pt. 2)

Hello, my dear viewers! 😄 For those coming back to this series, thanks for staying tuned! For those here for the first time, I’ll explain– this is the second post of our series about dealing with academic stress. In the first post, I gave a brief overview of stress and some factors that can trigger Read more…

Strategies for Managing Academic Stress: Understanding Stress and its Triggers (pt. 1)

Are you stressed, overwhelmed, in the mood to throw it all away? I have just what you need! Take Stress-free. 💊 Stress-free are pills that have the power to simultaneously calm you down and give you the energy to stay up studying all night. I bet you’ve never seen an all-in-one calming + energy-giving pill! Read more…

How to Prevent Burnout & Implement Rest

You’ve probably heard the word “burnout” before–it’s become a common expression, which isn’t a good thing!  Psychology Today defines “burnout” as “a state of emotional, mental, and often physical exhaustion brought on by prolonged or repeated stress,” and it can show through feelings of dread, exhaustion, depression, lack of motivation or energy, and anger. Does Read more…