25th-Annual LWC International Marketplace Showcases Cultural Diversity

international marketplace

PICTURED: LWC junior Brenda Arango from Cartagena, Colombia, left, and freshman Santiago Lagos Nunez from Bucaramanga, Colombia, share authentic cuisine from their home country. Arango is a member of the Lindsey Wilson volleyball program and Nunez is on the track and field team.

COLUMBIA, KY. – Authentic cuisine and culture from around the world were on display Monday when the Lindsey Wilson College International Student Program (ISP) held its annual International Marketplace.

LWC undergraduate students from the International Student Program set up booths to serve the food they prepared from their home countries and answer questions about their culture. More than 300 Lindsey Wilson College students, faculty, and staff, as well as community members, attended the 25th-annual event.

“We were worried at the beginning,” said LWC Assistant Director of International Student Programs Nathan Schweikhart. “We were setting up the booths and it started to rain. But then more and more students started to show up, and they all pitched in, and we got it put together at the last moment.”

Schweikhart, from Louisville, Kentucky, joined the Lindsey Wilson ISP office in June and said he was drawn to LWC’s program because he’s always been interested in other cultures.

“I took German in college and my major had an emphasis on international relations,” said Schweikhart, who is a 2022 graduate of the University of Louisville.”So I’ve always been interested in knowing more about different countries and their cultures, and I know it’s very important to share the cross-cultural differences and experiences. The international marketplace is a great way for these students to shine.”

This school year, Lindsey Wilson has its largest-ever international student population on the A.P. White Campus - a total of 159 undergraduate students from 48 countries and five continents. That's also the most number of countries ever represented on campus.

Raphael Rahul, a recent graduate from LWC’s growing International Graduate Program, drove down from Louisville to experience first-hand the cultural diversity on campus.

“I heard about all the countries represented on campus when I was a student,” said Rahul, who is a native of Hyderabad, India. “I believe food brings everyone together, and the best part is meeting each student and hearing about their home country.”

Rahul completed a master of science in technology management from LWC in August.

“Lindsey Wilson College gave me a lot of love while I attended, and being here today is a way for me to show my love for this place,” Rahul said. “I feel very happy to visit today and get to know more about my LWC family.”

Area residents who are interested in learning more about the LWC International Student Program can become a host family. Unlike at the high school level, there is no financial obligation to host a Lindsey Wilson international student. Rather, a host family agrees to meet with a student a couple of times a semester and help them adjust to America.

For information about becoming an LWC host family, email Nathan Schweikhart at schweikhartn@lindsey.edu or call Sabine Eastham at 1-270-384-8236.