Dear I-House Community,
Every fall, I stand in front of our new residents at retreat and tell them something I know to be true: the friendships they make at I-House will last a lifetime. Some of them already sense it. Others won’t know until it’s almost over.
This weekend, they’ll believe me.
Dear I-House Community,
As the year gathers pace, the global context surrounding higher education continues to shift in ways that directly shape student experience. Policy changes, visa uncertainty, and public rhetoric are influencing how students assess where they study, how they participate, and whether they feel secure doing so. What once sat in the background of decision-making is now part of it.
Latest data from International House Berkeley shows students support engaging with controversial ideas, but favor structured, supportive environments over disruption
Wondering what it’s really like to study abroad at UC Berkeley? For Aoife Haines (IH 2024-25), an exchange student from Trinity College Dublin, it starts with where you live. She chose International House Berkeley — and found a community she never expected.
Dear I-House Community,
Learning about other cultures is one thing. Actually living side by side with those from different cultures is another. That distinction is at the heart of what we do at I-House. We give residents both.
International House Berkeley is more than a residence. Built in 1930, it was founded on a bold idea: that students from around the world could live together, learn from one another, and challenge the boundaries of culture, race, and identity. It was the first coeducational and interracial residence of its kind west of the Mississippi, a radical vision for its time. Nearly a century later, that vision still lives within its walls, from the floors beneath our feet to the ceilings above our heads.
Dear I-House Community,
Some of my favorite moments at I-House are the ones where people choose to come together — and this month, you did.
A Personal Story About Community, Culture, and Choosing Connection
As I closed and locked the doors behind me, I surveyed the barren room around me filled with boxes of furniture, suitcases full of stuff, and empty walls. I walked across the room and opened the shaky, old, wooden window to find a direct view of the street below me with students and their families moving into new apartments, parking their cars, and commuting through the streets. I sat down on a suitcase of mine, looked around me, and felt something was terribly wrong.
I-House's Global Leadership Program (GLP)
Dear I-House Community,
With 2026 well underway, higher education in the United States continues to operate in a changing policy landscape that shapes who feels able to travel, study, and participate fully in academic life. Discussions around expanding travel restrictions understandably raise concerns for international students and scholars whose work depends on mobility and access. At the same time, they sharpen the importance of institutions that remain committed to openness, exchange, and connection.
Why Representation Matters for Understanding Peru and South America at I-House
Despite being in the same hemisphere, South America is heavily underrepresented in the United States. Regrettably, my friends and I often find ourselves projecting images of South Americans based on what we know about Mexico and its culture. A fourth-year Computer Science student from Peru, Leslie, pointed this out to me, highlighting that many Americans may view South America as merely an extension of Mexican culture rather than recognizing it as something distinct.
Dear I-House Community,
Last week, something happened on the Underhill soccer field that reminded me why I-House exists — and it had nothing to do with the final score.
One of the happiest moments in recent years was receiving my acceptance letter to Berkeley. The excitement came with countless questions: documentation, visas, travel, language, transportation, housing… All of these concerns appear as soon as one truly begins to consider studying at a university abroad. While searching for options online, as many of us likely did, we all reached the same conclusion: living in the Bay Area is incredibly expensive.
International House Berkeley (I-House Berkeley), the multicultural residential center promoting a more just and peaceful world, today announced key leadership promotions designed to strengthen operational excellence and elevate the student experience. Nayeli Vivanco has been promoted to Chief Student Experience Officer, and Ernie Costello has been promoted to Chief Financial Officer & Chief Operating Officer.
Dear I-House Community,
Every Wednesday night this semester, something special happens at I-House. Residents gather for DiversiTEA & Coffee Hour, a tradition that dates to the 1970s when resident leaders helped launch evening gatherings to break down cliques and build genuine connections across cultures.
The concept was simple then, and it remains powerful today: bring people together, share food, share cultures, and discover what connects us.
Dear I-House Community,
Since our first Global Perspectives newsletter, the world has not stood still. Much has happened – on campus, in the US, and across the globe – reminding us how valuable open dialogue becomes when tensions rise. In moments of division, spaces that foster listening and understanding matter more than ever.
