By 9 a.m. on a humid Friday morning, Eduarda Favero was already racing around the halls of Rice University’s Sid Richardson College, greeting anxious families, leading international students from 40 different countries to their rooms and answering a flurry of questions. As a student director of the Undergraduate International Orientation (UIO) along with junior Laura Li, Favero hardly had time to catch her breath.
“It’s a busy day,” Favero said as she quickly walked to another room to greet another student.
A junior architecture major from Brazil, Favero remembered her own arrival at Rice two years ago, full of anticipation but also feeling the weight of navigating a foreign country. She channeled that experience into helping 161 international students settle into life at Rice — students like her who came from places as far-reaching as China, India, Australia and Germany.
“Being an international student is really different than being a domestic student,” Favero said. “You need a different line of support.”
The UIO, organized by Rice’s Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS), provides essential support for students on F-1 and J-1 visas, covering everything from visa regulations to navigating life in Houston without a car. The program is the result of a collaborative effort with a team of 17 UIO directors and advisors working together to ensure international students have the guidance and resources needed to start their journey at Rice smoothly.
“UIO helps you get everything in order, so you live a regular life in America,” Favero said. “It’s all the little things people don’t tell you when you start a new life somewhere.”
And the orientation offered more than logistical support; it also focused on forming connections. Students were treated to a Texas barbecue dinner and line dancing lessons Saturday evening, along with a variety of other social events throughout the weekend.
“When you have other international students, you get that support from people going through the same experiences as you,” Favero said. “It’s about connecting and finding that support from people who understand exactly what you’re going through.”
For Favero, the whirlwind of move-in day may have been hectic, but she said it’s also deeply fulfilling knowing that each conversation, each small gesture, helps build a community that’s ready to encourage international students as they explore their new home at Rice.
Learn more about OISS here.