She arrived at St. Charles Community College right as a pandemic swept across the globe. Soon after, her home country of Honduras was hit by a devastating hurricane. Through it all, Deborah Andrade managed to stay positive.

“The International Student Services (ISS) office really helped me avoid feeling homesick,” she said. “Though things started off a little uncertain, my experience truly has been fantastic.”

Andrade came to SCC on a visa right after the embassy in Honduras opened. When her official acceptance letter came in, Andrade's father was overjoyed.

“My father actually visited the campus before I began the application process,” she explained. “He was astounded by the people, the campus and the area.”

Soon after her arrival on campus, Andrade got involved-becoming a student leader in the ISS office.

“From leading students on virtual tours of Honduras to remaining active on our social media accounts and mentoring new international students, Deborah has gone above and beyond,” said Dr. Virginia Guneyli, director of International Student Services.

Andrade's school spirit goes beyond the SCC campus - she's encouraged all of her friends to come to SCC because of how wonderful her experience has been, which she credits to the ISS office.

“The ISS office has made everything better,” exclaimed Andrade. “They check in with their students on a regular basis and provide numerous resources to not only help students in their classes, but to help them adjust to being away from home.”

When a friend struggled with applying to a school in Miami and wasn't receiving the help she needed, Andrade convinced her friend to look into SCC instead.

“I received so much support, and it made the transition from Honduras to St. Charles seamless for me," explained Andrade. “I chose SCC because of their International Students Services office.”

Aside from the ISS office, the ease of transferring credits to a four-year university sparked her interest in SCC.

“At first, I wasn't sure if I wanted to get a bachelor's degree,” said Andrade. “SCC offers the option of getting an associate degree, and that's exactly what I was looking for.”

She originally planned to pursue a business degree, but after her first semester at SCC, she quickly realized she had other fields of interest.

“Programming is a complex language that I really enjoy,” said Andrade. “I have always wanted to study computer science and knowing SCC offered this degree was a game-changer for me.”