Club highlight: St. Catherine International Student Organization
By Jena Mustafa
St. Catherine University has a diverse community that includes students from different backgrounds and around the world. This aspect of St. Catherine University makes a club like the St. Catherine International Student Organization (SCISO) possible. One may be wondering, what is SCISO? What do they do in SCISO? What are the events in SCISO? Well, here are a couple of things to learn about this club.
SCISO is a club created for international students, but it welcomes anyone who is interested in helping out or participating in events. “The club's main goal is to celebrate and support cultural diversity to make St. Kate's students feel more welcomed on campus,” said the president of the club, Porkim Minh ‘27 (Biochemistry, she/her). The SCISO board hosts events that focus on different cultures or places around the world. For example, towards the beginning of the fall season, they hosted a trivia night that focused on questions about facts from different countries. In addition, the prizes during trivia night had a Japanese theme to them. SCISO has a board of members who plan events that align with their commitment to spreading cultural awareness. There are two more big events being planned by the board. In the fall, there will be an international education week, and in the spring, an international night featuring many foods representing the beauty of different cultures in one community. “You can stay involved with SCISO by coming to our events or our board meetings, by following our Instagram (@scisostkates), being on our email lists, emailing us at sciso@stkate.edu, and/or being in our leadership position!” said Minh.
This is not the only part about SCISO. This club also allows each student to teach others about their own culture. Participating in these events opens conversations that allow a student to teach others about their own experiences or cultural values. “My favorite part about SCISO is being able to connect with people from different backgrounds in the club, being able to talk about my own cultures and other cultures in a supportive environment, and being able to share good foods with everyone through events!” said Minh.
SCISO is just one of the many clubs that bring students at St. Catherine University together to participate in activities as a community. They focus not only on planning events but also on adding laughs and good times along the way. Minh continues: “What I want people to know about SCISO is that, at its core, SCISO is all about creating a supportive space where human connections can grow. There's truly a place for everyone here, regardless of your background. We’re more than just a club; we’re a welcoming community that wants to help campus feel a little more like home for every Katie.”
