An Interview with Kat Wang, International Student Coordinator
March 9, 2016The Office of Health and Wellness has a number of initiatives, ranging from poster making to weekly yoga sessions. Wellness without Borders is a new series from the Office of Health and Wellness, hosted by Mudd’s new International Student Coordinator Kat Wang. The program offers a set of 9 events that focus on connecting international students with each other and helping students accustom to college life in the US. It is one of many ideas Kat has proposed and will execute throughout her time as international student coordinator at Mudd.
I interviewed Kat to learn more about her and her plans for Mudd.
An international student herself, Kat found her passion for student affairs and community engagement after volunteering to teach high school students English as a second language. She moved to the US a couple years ago, after majoring in business for undergrad, to pursue her M.S. in Higher Education Administration, with a focus in international education. She hoped to focus on the intersection of student academics and activities; at Mudd, she is doing just that.
At Mudd, Kat’s primary aim is to help all students, not only the international ones, practice the 8 dimensions of wellness: occupational, intellectual, physical, social, emotional, spiritual, environmental, and multicultural wellness. The entire student body is invited to events, at which she address each of the dimensions of wellness. She hopes to integrate the cultural experiences of both international and local students at these. The intellectual wellness program on February 11th, for example, taught international students how to “Build Professional Relationships with Faculty & Staff.” The following seminar featured a panel of graduating seniors going into the workforce or grad school, who had plenty of advice for underclassmen. In April, there will be a visa information session for non-US citizens.
Kat tells me “diversity is Mudd’s signature,” and it’s our responsibility to ensure that we don’t let our personal connections get lost in the midst of cultural differences. Instead, she encourages everyone to celebrate our multiple layers of identity, and especially international students to reach out and ask questions, and find friends among the greater Mudd community.
In the next few years, Kat sees a bigger 5C effort with all the 5 schools and the I-Place to help international students “Strive, Balance, and Thrive” – the motto of the Office of Health and Wellness.
International pre-frosh and students, as well as local students at Mudd: reach out to Kat – book an appointment by selecting the international student option – to learn more about the resources that you have!
Check out Future Wellness Without Borders Events:
03/24: Intellectual Wellness: Smart Goal-setting Method
03/31: Intellectual Wellness: Paraphrasing and Active Listening
04/07: Occupational Wellness: CPT/OPT Info Session
04/14: Cultural Wellness: American Dining Etiquette
04/21: Cultural Wellness: International Potluck Party