Lin Wang of the People's Republic of China

Wang is a third-year graduate student pursuing her MS in accounting in the School of Management. While working on her degree, Wang is also studying for her CPA examination. She plans to look for a job in the United States when she's finished. "I don't know how easy that will be," she said.

Pradyot Dhulipala of India, Olga Salazar-Diaz of Colombia, Silvia Millan of Mexico and Sandeep Deshpande of India

Dhulipala, a TA in computer organization and assembly, is pursuing his MS in computer science. About the International Coffee Hour, he said: "On a day to day basis you study, go to classes, and you don't really make a concerted effort to interact with people from other places. Generally, you spend most of your time within your own community. But here, you actually get the opportunity to make that interaction."

This is Dhulipala's first year at Binghamton, and he's happy he came. "I like the labs a lot here," he said. "You are connected to the 'Net anywhere on campus. It's not something you have everywhere in India." He also finds people here very friendly. "Bombay is a huge city. People are not used to being friendly to each other," he said. "Here the condition is totally different; everybody says 'hi.'"

Millan is a first-year graduate student and Fulbright Scholar studying mathematics. "I'm dreaming of a PhD, but I'll see what happens the first year," she said. "You need to get invited to get a PhD."

Why did Millan choose Binghamton? "I was looking for a university that was multicultural, diverse, that welcomed everybody. I got information from Binghamton, I applied and I got a Fulbright scholarship."

Millan came to the International Coffee Hour on Salazar-Diaz's recommendation. Salazar- Diaz is also a graduate student in mathematics who has been at Binghamton since January. She comes to the International Coffee Hour regularly because she's made friends here in the past, and she knows she'll get a chance to see them there.

Deshpande is pursuing his MS in computer science. He has been here since fall 2000. He found Binghamton University via the Internet when he was researching schools of advanced technology in the United States. "I am very pleased with the program," he said. "Also, the campus environment is very good. People are very friendly. It's very pretty -- many trees." Of the International Coffee Hour, he said, "It offers a wonderful opportunity to see many international students -- from South America, Taiwan, Europe, Romania, Turkey -- good exposure to all cultures."

Jose Villalobos and Guillermo Echeverria of Peru are both very happy they chose to study here.

Villalobos, who is pursuing his MBA in the School of Management's information systems program, has been here since fall 2000. "I was going to come to the U.S. anyway for a master's program – Chicago, maybe. Then, after I did my GMAT, I got a brochure from this university, I applied, and got admitted," he said. He enjoys the International Coffee Hour: "The people who work at the ISSS are really good because they put it on," he said. "I've met several people here." With a broad smile he added, "I'm looking for a girlfriend."

Echeverria, a TA for a class on automation and control, is pursuing his MS in the Thomas J. Watson School of Engineering and Applied Science's industrial engineering program. He heard about Binghamton through friends: "My friends' girlfriends were studying here," he said. Echeverria finds that there are a lot of students who want to practice Spanish with native speakers at Binghamton. He thinks the International Coffee Hour is a "really good chance to get to know people," he said. "A lot of people feel the same way -- they are new here, not too much friends."

Flore Mas of France, Aileen Quitoriano of California and Mark Zsurka of New York... Mas, a junior in biology, is at Binghamton for one year as an exchange student.

She shares an apartment in Vestal with Quitoriano and another roommate from Taiwan. Mas convinced Quitoriano and Zsurka to come with her to the International Coffee Hour to meet people -- she was hoping to find other students from France. At the time she was interviewed, she hadn't yet met any new people, and joked she would try a new strategy next time: "I have to go to every table, like you," she said. "Next time I will do the same thing, and write a story."

Quitoriano is pursuing her BS in nursing at the Decker School. This will be her second bachelor's degree. "I was looking for a nursing program and had my eye on schools in California, Kentucky and New York," she said. "I heard about Decker; their scores are pretty high, and it's cheaper than the school in California," she said. "And I've lived in Los Angeles for quite a while. I needed a change of pace."

Zsurka is a freshman in the Susquehanna Community on campus. "I worked for a little bit after high school," he said. "I think I'm probably going to take some classes during the summer; if I can finish in three and a half years, that will be great."

Abhay Gaeg, Sarah Mafgaankar and Anindita Sarkar, India, and Ellen Badger, director of International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS)

Gaeg, Mafgaankar and Sarkar are all first-year graduate students in computer science, and are all certain they made the right choice in coming to Binghamton.

Gaeg's friends recommended Binghamton University to him: "They were here for five or six years, they wrote to me, so I had a good idea of the place," he said. He also appreciates the computer laboratories here, and finds that "All the offices are really helpful -- you can get help immediately," he said.

Mafgaankar had a friend here who told her about Binghamton. "SUNY is pretty well known in India," she said. She considered three other universities, but "Binghamton was the best," she said. Moreover, she added, "Binghamton is doing quite a bit to help students [financially]. We prefer universities that have financial aid opportunities." Mafgaankar finds people here to be "very friendly, very disciplined," she said. "And the faculty is very approachable."

Mafgaankar was sampling a bottle of Starbucks cappuccino because a friend had told her "sometimes they have Starbucks. I hoped they would have Starbucks this time."

Sarkar learned about Binghamton through a listserv in India. She finds the accessibility of the Internet to be just wonderful here. "We really need it," she said.

Although they are from the same city in India, Mafgaankar and Sarkar met here on the Binghamton campus. Both plan to work for a year after completing their studies, then return home. "Students usually work for a time, then go back," said Mafgaankar.