After seeing a lack of international representation in student government, one Ball State student from Tajikistan decided to join.
Robiyabonu Dustova, who goes by Bonu, is a junior pre-business and criminal justice major and is the only international student senator in the Student Government Association.
“Every student around campus deserves the right to be heard and I think there should be someone representing the international community,” Dustova said.
It is important to have an international representative so SGA is not completely focused on domestic students she said.
SGA Adviser Jennifer Jones-Hall said she does not remember any international students in the four years she has been adviser.
“Bonu is excellent at reminding our domestic students that international students are present and have opinions and needs also,” Jones-Hall said.
According to the Ball State website more than 1,000 undergraduate and graduate international students attend Ball State each year.
Dustova's sister completed a master’s degree at Ball State and encouraged her to apply.
“I said ‘Sure why not, if I’m lucky enough,’” she said.
In June 2012, Dustova was accepted and received a scholarship of $10,000 for each semester.
When she first arrived in Muncie, it was not what she expected.
“It is a very small town and there is a lot of open space,” she said. “It is a nice place, I can’t complain.”
She learned British English in Tajikistan and had to learn to adapt to the way people speak in the U.S.
During her first year, she heard of SGA through a friend who was involved in the organization.
The following year, Dustova joined Excellence in Leadership. She had an assignment to attend an activity fair and speak to different organizations, where she met Chloe Anagnos, the SGA president at the time. Dustova told her she was interested in learning more about SGA.
When she applied, she was the only international student in SGA.
Still, she said she felt welcomed by the members of SGA. Former Vice President Carli Hendershot and current President Pro Tempore Aric Hopper helped her grasp how the senate runs.
“I did not feel any sort of discrimination,” Dustova said, “It was just the fact that there was a lack of international students in senate.”
During her first year in the student senate, she said she did not participate much because she was trying to learn more about SGA and how it operates.
Since then, Dustova said she's become more independent with the new freedoms she didn't have before. In Tajikistan, her school did not have organizations like SGA.
“It took me a while to actually grasp the whole concept of student government,” Dustova said.
She said she has enjoyed her experience so far and likes that everyone can voice their own opinion.
“Even if it is a small impact, it can still make a difference,” she said.
Even with the freedoms, Dustova said many underrepresented students lack information about the organization. She said many do not know where to begin.
“For some students it takes a little bit of courage, patience, and time,” she said.
Jones-Hall said international students may be unaware of what student governance means at an American university.
“I don’t think the international students are misrepresented, we just have had none come to SGA and or ask about involvement,” Jones-Hall said.
She hopes Dustova will encourage other students to get involved and educate them on what SGA does.
Even with the lack of international students, Dustova said there is diversity within the senate.
“There are many people from different backgrounds,” Dustova said, “Each have different beliefs and values.”
This semester she said she feels a lot more confident and comfortable participating during the senate meetings.
“This is our temporary home away from home and it is important to know we feel comfortable to be here,” she said.
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