As a way to honor the reopening of International House for residents in Fall 2021, we want to hear from you about WHO opened doors for you — whether at I-House, UC Berkeley, or beyond. Please fill out this form to share a story and upload a photo or video.
Read the response from current resident Mikey Mohan (IH 2019-2020 / Fall 2021).
Who opened the doors for me to I-House? Well, I would like to split my response into three slices:
1) It all happened because of my parents’ support – by support, here I mean they allowed me to be who I want to be! this includes being okay with me taking risks, trying out new things, making mistakes – and learning from them. My parents letting me choose the path I want was the best thing that ever happened to me!
2) This takes me to the second part, which revolves around my life experiences and the credit goes to the insightful books I read as a child, the diverse places I have been, and the amazing people I have met.
3) Finally, it was my department at Berkeley (Geography) who recommended me to I-House assuming that I would love it and I was able to live at I-House due to the kind people who were willing to support students in need like me! So, my sincere gratitude and appreciation go to the board members and donors of the I-House community and my department staff!
Last but not the least, I would also like to show my special appreciation to the person who literally opened the door of I-House for me. It was Bonnie Johnston. The first time I visited I-House, she took me in, got me lunch and it was in fact I-House 89th anniversary that day, so, I was able to jump-start my life as an I-House member and meet the staff right away. :)
To me, I-House is all about the people – not just the students, but also the staff and everyone associated with it – and I have nothing but gratitude to share!
Mikey was an active participant in Big Give 2020 and was a key contributor to our success. He is featured in the Big Give video, along with other residents who lived at I-House in 2019-2020.
Lezley Hightower, my career adviser at the Goldman School of Public Policy, was the person that let me know about the opportunity of living at I-House. She thought I would make a strong candidate for the house, and someone who in turn would be interested in living there. Ever since, I am incredibly grateful to her, to my department, and to the I-House community for gifting me such a magical student experience. As a former member of the resident council I also got to see closely not just the students, but the I-House staff, I-House Board members, and all alumni who continue to support the home; thank you eternally.
Benny Corona was an I-House Resident Council member and was critical to our success during Big Give 2020. Read more in this blog post, Big Thanks for Big Give!
I-House Berkeley officially opened on August 18, 1930. Consider making a gift to honor our remarkable history!
