International Students Make An Impact At NCMC

North Central Missouri College is proud to be among the Missouri colleges and universities that host international students from all over the world to study in Missouri.
Missouri ranks 12th in the nation for hosting international students with an increase of 19 percent of students attending in Missouri from the 2012-2013 academic year to the 2013-2014 academic year.
“We are honored that international students are choosing North Central Missouri College as their institution of choice in Missouri due to our low cost, top ranked institution of 6th in the nation and safe and friendly environment,” NCMC Director of Admissions and chairman of the Study Missouri Consortium Karla McCollum said. “The overall growth of international students studying in Missouri is exciting, and we at NCMC are privileged to be a part of it.”
NCMC began its current F-1 student visa international student program in spring of 2009 with one student from Zimbabwe. The following year, North Central hosted six Education majors from Chile as well as a student from Ukraine and the Dominican Republic. Each year, the program has steadily increased. Currently, 23 international students are studying at North Central Missouri College with at least two more students coming in January.
Over 60 international students have attended North Central Missouri College since the beginning of the current program in 2009. North Central Missouri’s International Students have come to Trenton from the Bahamas, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Curacao, the Dominican Republic, Germany, Ghana, Haiti, Kenya, Macedonia, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, the Kingdom of Tonga, Ukraine and Zimbabwe. The largest number of students have attended from the countries of Curacao and Chile.
International student programs are valuable in several ways to the community of Trenton and the service region of NCMC as well as to the state of Missouri.
“We are excited and honored that more international students are choosing Missouri as their home for higher education,” Mrs. McCollum said. “The international students on our campuses increase cultural awareness and help foster a global view. We’re also pleased to see more Missouri students taking advantage of global opportunities while enrolled in higher education.”
International students create a direct economic impact to the area. A recent study was released by NAFSA, the Association of International Educators, stating the economic impact to the United states resulted in the support of two jobs for U.S. citizens for every seven international students enrolled due to the direct spending occurring in higher education, accommodation, dining, retail, transportation, telecommunications and health insurance sectors (NAFSA.org). The economic impact to Missouri for the 2013-2014 was $615.1 million, which supported 7,200 Missouri jobs. The economic impact to Trenton last year with 15 international students studying in Trenton was $327,058, which supported two jobs in the area. NCMC ranked in the top half of community colleges in Missouri in regard to economic impact, leading over the majority of the community colleges in the state.
International students not only make an impact on our economy but they are making an impact after graduation. NCMC’s international students have gone on to transfer to Graceland University, Purdue University, Brigham Young Idaho, Rockhurst, UMKC, South Dakota School of Mines and Central Methodist University. Also, many who have graduated are back in their home country working in their field of study such as instructors of English, accounting and business.
Several NCMC international graduates have gone on to have successful careers. Carlos Mercardo from the Dominican Republic graduated from NCMC with his associate in arts degree, transferred to Graceland University in Lamoni, IA and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting. He now works back in his home country of the Dominican Republic for a startup footwear manufacturing company called General Shoes DR, Corp. whose parent company is in New York, and was originally in China.
“Many things have happened since I became the accounting/finance manager at GSDR, and the experience has been nothing but amazing,” Carlos said. “(It) wouldn’t have been this way if it didn’t start at North Central Missouri College and, to be honest, I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.”
Musta Majee, the first international student at NCMC from Zimbabwe, graduated in 2010 and transferred to University of Missouri-Kansas City and graduated summa cum laude in 2013. She also completed her master’s degree in accounting at UMKC. Following the completion of her graduate studies, she was hired as a federal tax associate at KPMG LLP. In May of this year she had completed and passed all four examinations toward becoming a CPA. Mutsa hopes to become certified at the end of this month.
“After hearing about NCMC and the high ranking of the college and all that NCMC offered, I was interested to come here,” said current student Talitha Santana Baez. “First of all, this college is more affordable than most colleges in the U.S. Secondly, it has a top ranked educational program which will transfer to other colleges and universities. And last, NCMC offers many opportunities for international students to be a part of the ‘Pirates’ community and they make you feel at home as well. The diversity on campus gives me the chance to interact with groups of people from other cities and countries with other thoughts and beliefs that I have never heard of. It does not matter the race, culture, gender or religion, we all are treated the same at North Central Missouri College. Because I am from a small island in the Caribbean, it was important for me to attend a diverse campus which appreciates my culture and makes me feel welcome.”
To learn more about the international program at NCMC, persons can contact Mrs. McCollum at [email protected] or 660-359-3948.