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| Arda Onkol Photo Credit: Maggie Ximenes |
By: Maggie Ximenes
Texas State is home to many international students who
chose Texas State for their college education. The university has a diverse
culture of students along with activities, organizations and events to connect
them. Among these students, Arda Onkol is one of the many who decided that
Texas State was right for him.
Onkol, originally from Ankara, Turkey
first came to the United States as a foreign exchange student to attend Austin
High School in Austin, Texas. After his year in Austin, he returned to Turkey
to be with his family and graduate from high school. Despite being admitted
to Bilknet University, the top university in Turkey, Onkol chose to come back
to Texas to study Industrial Engineering at Texas State.
Onkol found his way in the
international student community quickly and is now the vice president of the
International Student Association at Texas State. Onkol devotes a lot of his
time to the association and has met many international friends as well as many
from the United States.
“You see a lot of people from
different countries but you see them having the same struggles that you have in
your life,” Onkol said. “It’s pretty cool to share.”
Students and faculty at Texas State
are another reason Onkol finds the university so appealing.
“People are very friendly, and that’s
how I became an RA," Onkol said. That affected me a lot. They’re always ready to help you if
you have any questions or anything."
Being a resident assistant isn’t the
only job Onkol does. Onkol is also the treasurer of the Institute of Industrial
Engineering.
Texas is where Onkol calls home for
now. He invests himself fully in his studies, connecting international
students and showing a great amount of pride in being a Texas State Bobcat.
Onkol’s participation in the International Student Association has created an
opportunity for Onkol to meet, connect and learn from his fellow students,
foreign and American.
