NW Missouri Times

Thirty international students from Northwest Missouri State University visited Jefferson City to engage in the annual International Education Day at the Missouri capitol. This event, organized by the Study Missouri consortium, attracted over 150 students from nine Missouri institutions, providing networking opportunities and tours of the Capitol.

Thomas Merlot, director of international involvement at Northwest, expressed the value of the event: “Whenever I accompany a group of students to this special event, what I find most rewarding is witnessing them connect with fellow students from their home country who are attending other Missouri institutions of higher education.” He noted that students often form lasting impressions through these interactions.

The Northwest group met with Sen. Rusty Black, who oversees the district that includes Nodaway County, and enjoyed a visit to Central Dairy in Jefferson City. One participant, Kentaro Onishi, a junior from Japan, expressed his interest in politics and shared that he learned about community engagement in the political process. “I had an opportunity to ask questions to one of the state senators about how he gathers the voices of constituents,” Onishi said.

Joey Van der Linden, a multimedia journalism major from the Netherlands, also attended the event to learn from the experiences of fellow international students. “As a mass media student and visual storyteller, I’m always intrigued by the many adventures and tales of other students,” Van der Linden said.

According to Study Missouri, the state ranks 12th for attracting international students and has one of the lowest costs of living in the U.S. The 2024 Open Doors Report recognized the university's international student population, ranking it 14th among master’s colleges and universities. At present, international students make up 8 percent of the student body at the university, representing 47 countries, with a significant number from India, Nepal, Nigeria, Morocco, and South Africa.