March 3, 2009

Purdue International students give back to the community

The community service project is being arranged by Purdue's Office of International Students and Scholars (ISS) and the university's Habitat for Humanity chapter.

Twenty-one international students, along with members of the ISS staff, will work from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. packaging food for the poor and helping demolish some old houses to make space for new construction, said Michael Knabel, a prepharmacy student who's a construction co-chair for the Purdue chapter of Habitat for Humanity.

"We want international students to be well-rounded individuals, not restricted within the confines of university life," said Maureen Doyle, immigration counselor with the Office of International Students and Scholars. "We want them to go out into the community and see what daily life is like for the average American. No matter which part of the world they're from, doing volunteer work and making a positive impact on the community will be an enriching experience for them."

This is the first time the Office of International Students and Scholars has organized a community service project, although international students have the opportunity to do volunteer work on campus and participate in ISS-sponsored programs in local schools.

"The students are excited about the Habitat for Humanity project," Doyle said. "The international students at Purdue are a great group, and they're always looking for ways to get out into the community.

Writer: Soumitro Sen, (765) 496-9711, ssen@purdue.edu

Sources: Maureen Doyle, (765) 494-5771, mdoyle@purdue.edu

Michael Knabel, mknabel@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

To the News Service home page