The Conversation Friend Program is a unique opportunity for FFIS volunteers to connect with an international student during the student’s first year in Eugene. A student and a volunteer are matched on the basis of shared interests and meet for one hour a week in a public setting.
This is what a Chinese student wrote about his experiences with his FFIS Conversation Friend:
After moving to this new place to begin my Finance PhD at the University of Oregon, I felt so lonely and had a hard time adjusting myself to this strange town. This loneliness ended when I got an email from David talking about our first meeting as conversation friends. The first meeting went well at a coffee shop.
He is like my father, warming my heart in the cold winter. He is very helpful in my life and is willing to help me anyway that he can. His help to me is much appreciated. And he is so nice and patient, always picking me up at my apartment and spending time with me during his busy schedule.
His job is very close to my major and we always have a lot of things to talk about. He is a person who I admire—smart and gentlemanly. I always tell my parents and my friends how lucky I was to have the chance to know David. I want to say thank you to him and let him know how grateful I am for his help and time.
To learn more about the FFIS Conversation Friend Program, contact FFIS Conversation Friend Coordinator June Brooks at 541-513-4086 or JuneEBrooks@gmail.com.
Friendship Foundation for International Students 