Every Spartan has a story. And every leader in the International Students Association, or ISA, has a story within that of how they came to represent Global Spartans in this important role. 

As the Office for International Students and Scholars, or OISS, prepares to raise funds for the new International Leadership & Engagement Fund on Give Green Day -- March 15th, 2022 -- we wanted to share two of these Spartan stories. Meet Nikunj Agarwal and Farshad A. Samimi, both serving in the role of ISA President, nearly 20 years apart. 

Nikunj Agarwal, Current ISA President

Nikunj Agarwal found his way to the International Students Association, or ISA, because of the pandemic. Changing policies and travel requirements created such uncertainty, he decided he needed to be more aware of decision-making across campus. 

“I’m extroverted and outspoken, and I wanted to use that to help other international students,” Agarwal said. “So I found ISA, and I got involved.” 

Serving as the ISA President for the 2021-2022 academic year, Agarwal has led the ISA to new levels of visibility across campus. This past fall, for the very first time, ISA was given a spot at the podium at Fall Convocation. Agarwal welcomed thousands of new Spartans to campus on behalf of the international student community. And just last month, ISA hosted the first International Student Leaders Summit, where international students engaged with campus leadership to network and discuss the MSU 2030 Strategic Plan.

As students return to in-person classes and campus events, Agarwal sees community building as a top ISA priority. The ISA serves as an umbrella organization that supports other international student groups, and leaders offer advice and assistance to other student organizations as they host cultural events and programs. When ISA thrives, it provides opportunities for all MSU students to grow and succeed. 

“When you get involved in your own community, you feel like you belong – and when you get involved with other communities, you learn a lot,” Agarwal said. “But when you’re part of a multicultural community, the opportunities never stop.” 

Farshad A. Samimi, former ISA President
 

Almost 20 years ago, Farshad A. Samimi attended his first OISS Coffee Hour. Coffee Hour was a new event created by Peter Briggs, Director of OISS at the time, aimed at bringing international and domestic student groups together. 

Early on, a group of friends and regular Coffee Hour attendees decided to march in the MSU Homecoming parade. They decorated a banner for the parade that ended up winning a prize. Judges didn't know who to award the prize to, which helped prompt this group of international students to organize into what we know as the ISA. 

“It is a great story and everyone should be proud of what was built from those humble beginnings,” Briggs said. “ISA has a long history, and I know it will have a long future ahead of it.”

Although the Homecoming Parade was an early win, Samimi said creating the organization had its difficulties. 

“When you are building an organization like ISA, you have to learn to communicate,” Samimi said. “It was like a start-up, making something out of chaos.” 

Now an entrepreneur and tech executive in San Fransisco, Samimi is used to this work, but when forming the ISA, it was all new. Still, the work Samimi and others put in to help ISA thrive has lasting impacts. 

“It shaped my capabilities in working with people and creating new things,” Samimi said. “It shaped my career in ways that I had not thought before.”