A Glimpse of the FIUTS Office

By Nikki Humphries, FIUTS Student Office Assistant 2017-2018

Imagine this. You walk into the FIUTS office for work. Your coworkers warmly greet you and tell you something interesting that happened since the last time you saw them. Maybe the printer you were trying to fix magically started working when someone touched it (this actually happened). You walk past the front desk and there is food on the conference table. Home baked goods by one of the staff members, a left-over bag of popcorn from last night’s event, and some Latvian chocolate from a student. After stopping to snack on a piece of chocolate, you walk towards the storage area in the back. It’s piled high with boxes from different community and University events that either just ended or are going to happen in the next couple of days. It feels like there are ten different events in the next two weeks that you play a role in, or maybe that number is literal.

This is a small glimpse of the FIUTS office, an office that I am incredibly grateful for. For the past year, FIUTS has been a big part of my life. More than a job, they became a family. They supported and encouraged me all the while challenging and teaching me. Honestly, one of my favorite parts of working at FIUTS was getting to know my coworkers and the students that came by. Everyone is so unique and has their own story to be told!

Meeting new students was both engaging and informative. Not only did I get to learn about other countries and cultures, I also got to try new food. Even more interesting, I was challenged by words and phrases I took for granted as someone in the dominant society. One lunch break was dedicated solely to the discussion of what a “casserole” was because I asked a coworker, an international student, if she had made a one for lunch.

Getting to know the staff of FIUTS was just as rewarding. Unlike many students and community members, I was able to see just how hard working and dedicated they all are. I have grown to admire and respect FIUTS for both the big events they put on and little things that happen every day.

Ultimately, FIUTS played a large part of my undergraduate career. Now a graduate student studying Global Development and Justice, FIUTS has confirmed my pursuit in working at a non-profit organization geared towards cross-cultural dialogue and understanding.

Nikki (front row, second from left) with other student office staff/interns, student board members, and facilitators at the Blue Marble Bash fundraiser for FIUTS in April 2018