As the OUSA’s 2024 Research Intern, I had the opportunity to be mentored by the Home Office staff to create a capstone project that spoke to the things I care about. Initially, I struggled a lot with figuring out my topic. What do I care about? Eventually, after days of thinking, I came up with the research question: How can the system better support international students in their job search? It was not easy, but if there is one thing I can take away from the process of writing my capstone, it would be the importance of questioning the validity of the system around us.
As an international student, I know first-hand how many hoops we have to jump through to get to the same outcome. I never questioned that, and I internalized those hoops as justified because, after all, who am I to question the system that I am a guest? My summer at OUSA taught me not to take anything in the system for granted and keep asking questions. Everyone deserves equitable opportunities to succeed. No matter who they are, where they come from, what they look like, and how much money they have. This research project I shared here is the product of that critical mindset.
I hope you enjoy the read and feel inspired to join the conversation in supporting international students with their job search. More broadly, I hope you will walk away from the read feeling compelled to observe the world around you and question yourself: How could I work towards making the world a more inclusive space for everyone around me to live in?