Heer Zaveri helped bring one of Slippery Rock University’s most binding cultural traditions to life this fall, using her leadership role to strengthen community, celebrate global diversity and create a sense of belonging for more than 50 international students at SRU.
Zaveri, a junior biology major from India, served as a student leader in planning and presenting SRU’s 51st annual International Dinner, Nov. 8, in the Smith Student Center Ballroom. The event is the International Club’s largest event and one of the most widely attended cultural celebrations on campus.
“International Club is like a home away from home,” Zaveri said. “We are here to share and learn about each other’s uniqueness and culture, and through that, build community.”
The dinner featured a flag ceremony, remarks from SRU President Karen Riley, globally inspired performances and the recognition of international student scholarship recipients. As vice president of the International Club, Zaveri helped coordinate the event’s logistics, carried the Indian flag during the ceremony and prepared paneer butter masala, a North Indian dish that reminds her of home.
“It’s the one time of the year where we can actually have people experience our ethnicity and taste the authentic dishes from the region and culture that we prepare traditionally,” she said. “We interact with everyone from around the world and get to learn about their culture; not everybody in the club is from the same region or even the same continent.”
Still, Zaveri considers the International Club the foundation of her SRU experience, especially during moments like this year’s dinner. Her experience with the club has also been deeply important in her personal growth. She described the International Club as the first place to help her feel grounded after arriving at SRU for International Orientation during her freshman semester. The students she met there, including current club president Tadiwanashe Musanhu, a senior biology major from Zimbabwe, encouraged her to get involved and helped her navigate campus life as an international student.
“One of our main focuses is to share our own cultures with students who are not international and raise awareness, but it also helps me interact with people that I’m usually not interacting with,” Zaveri said. “It really helped me come out of my shell.”
Along with her role in the International Club, Zaveri is a member of the Honors College, serves as the international senator for the Slippery Rock Student Government Association, participates in Tri Beta and MedLife and works three on-campus jobs – all while pursuing her goal of becoming a cardiothoracic surgeon.
Through all her facets of leadership and campus involvement, Zaveri continues to highlight the vibrancy of SRU’s tightly knit international community and showcases the power of finding a place where sharing culture, friendship and belonging builds a home far from home.
“We are all here to share our uniqueness,” Zaveri said. “This a community where everybody can intertwine with each other and build that strong relationship.”
More information about international student admissions is available on the SRU website. More information about the International Club at SRU is available on CORE, the University’s platform for student organizations.