{"583486":{"#nid":"583486","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Join the Club: Georgia Tech International Ambassadors ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EBeing a new student is hard for anyone, but being a new international student is an even more unfamiliar experience. One group on campus aims to ease the transition for Tech\u0026rsquo;s international student population.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFounded by the Office of Undergraduate Admission in December 2012, the goals of the Georgia Tech International Ambassadors (GTIA) are to promote an accurate and holistic view of the Institute around the world, encourage talented and qualified individuals to apply, and encourage admitted students to enroll. GTIA is now advised\u0026nbsp;by\u0026nbsp;the Office of International Education (OIE) and in partnership with them promote\u0026nbsp;cultural diversity on campus.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Our organization supports a great community of people who are extremely diverse,\u0026rdquo; said Sudeep Agarwal, director of external affairs for GTIA and a second-year computer science major from Singapore.\u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp; \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EMost international students leave their native country to attend one of the last two FASET orientations and stay until classes begin. This does not allow much time to adjust to campus life and culture.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs an international student, Agarwal understands first-hand the challenges that international students face. \u0026ldquo;When I first came to the International Student Check-in at FASET, GTIA had a booth to promote their organization,\u0026rdquo; he said. \u0026ldquo;The group representatives were extremely helpful and answered any questions that I had.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBesides tabling at the International Student Check-in, GTIA leads webinars, information sessions, campus tours, and other outreach events to encourage international students to apply and attend Tech. Their \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/gtia.gtorg.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003Ewebsite\u003C\/a\u003E provides answers to questions that many students may have about Tech and the application process.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAfter recruitment, GTIA continues to assist international and local students alike. The organization has weekly meetings on Thursday nights where members gather to plan events and promote international culture.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;I always look forward to Thursday nights,\u0026rdquo; said Agarwal. \u0026ldquo;A lot of work goes into planning GTIA events, so I\u0026rsquo;ve gotten to know the other members well. I enjoy the tight-knit community that GTIA creates.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWithin the organization, there are multiple committees including external and internal affairs, outreach, talent management, marketing, and finance. This gives members an opportunity to find a project that interests them.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAnyone can apply to become a member of GTIA, even students who are not international. Applications for membership will open again in the spring and any Tech undergraduate student is encouraged to apply.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGTIA\u0026rsquo;s upcoming event, the Night Market, will feature a diverse group of vendors, performances, food, and drink. Cultures from the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, South Asia, South America, the Middle East, and Europe will be represented.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Night markets are sensory experiences with brilliant displays of life, color, and energy,\u0026rdquo; Agarwal said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EGenerally held in Asian countries, this is the first night market held at Tech. Students should attend to familiarize themselves with new cultures while enjoying great food, music, and activities. There will also be opportunities to win prizes from cultural organizations across campus.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe event will take place Wednesday, Nov. 9, at 6:30 p.m. at the Kessler Campanile. Tickets for food are sold out, but students are encouraged to attend the performances, street art, and activities for free.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor more information about GTIA, visit their \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gatechGTIA\/\u0022\u003EFacebook page\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Get to know more about one of Tech\u2019s most diverse organizations, the Georgia Tech International Ambassadors. "}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EFounded by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions in December, 2012, the goals of the organization include promoting an accurate and holistic view of the Institute around the world, encouraging talented and qualified individuals to apply, and encouraging admitted students to enroll.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Get to know more about one of Tech\u2019s most diverse organizations, the Georgia Tech International Ambassadors. "}],"uid":"30867","created_gmt":"2016-11-08 13:04:07","changed_gmt":"2016-11-09 14:53:24","author":"Julia Faherty","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2016-11-08T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2016-11-08T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"583473":{"id":"583473","type":"image","title":"GTIA Night Market","body":null,"created":"1478187715","gmt_created":"2016-11-03 15:41:55","changed":"1478187715","gmt_changed":"2016-11-03 15:41:55","alt":"","file":{"fid":"222428","name":"14715049_993400777452074_964292638410662985_o.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/14715049_993400777452074_964292638410662985_o.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/14715049_993400777452074_964292638410662985_o.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":258229,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/14715049_993400777452074_964292638410662985_o.jpg?itok=9iY3t7c4"}},"583483":{"id":"583483","type":"image","title":"GTIA 3","body":null,"created":"1478188770","gmt_created":"2016-11-03 15:59:30","changed":"1478188770","gmt_changed":"2016-11-03 15:59:30","alt":"","file":{"fid":"222436","name":"13007159_877659399026213_4471628882076192448_n.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/13007159_877659399026213_4471628882076192448_n.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/13007159_877659399026213_4471628882076192448_n.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":86492,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/13007159_877659399026213_4471628882076192448_n.jpg?itok=qggAv3DE"}},"583482":{"id":"583482","type":"image","title":"GTIA 2","body":null,"created":"1478188705","gmt_created":"2016-11-03 15:58:25","changed":"1478188705","gmt_changed":"2016-11-03 15:58:25","alt":"","file":{"fid":"222435","name":"14102807_958295407629278_4971892224772163530_o.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/14102807_958295407629278_4971892224772163530_o.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/14102807_958295407629278_4971892224772163530_o.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":379544,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/14102807_958295407629278_4971892224772163530_o.jpg?itok=rC-duvnk"}},"583481":{"id":"583481","type":"image","title":"GTIA 1","body":null,"created":"1478188667","gmt_created":"2016-11-03 15:57:47","changed":"1478188667","gmt_changed":"2016-11-03 15:57:47","alt":"","file":{"fid":"222434","name":"14054271_950391825086303_8639118660471409023_o.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/14054271_950391825086303_8639118660471409023_o.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/14054271_950391825086303_8639118660471409023_o.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":179056,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/14054271_950391825086303_8639118660471409023_o.jpg?itok=V1GG1umi"}}},"media_ids":["583473","583483","583482","583481"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/gatechGTIA","title":"GTIA on Facebook"}],"groups":[{"id":"1182","name":"General"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"172582","name":"gtia"},{"id":"9060","name":"Night market"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:stucomm@gatech.edu\u0022\u003EJulia Faherty \u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["stucomm@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}