As an international student from Argentina, Valentina Leiva ’26, a double major in finance and economics, expected Los Angeles to look and feel like what she had seen in the movies. She wanted a big-city feel, and when she googled Los Angeles, Loyola Marymount University was what she found and where she wanted to be. Her experience here has been so much more about connections, growth, and becoming her own person. And now, she’s taking that experience and wanting to pour it back into the international student community by working to bring back the International Student Association, a registered student organization.
At LMU, Leiva found help and connections throughout the international student community here on campus. “I’ve been able to learn from people from all over the world by connecting with other international students, and I feel lucky to have called people friends from India, Kuwait, and the Philippines,” said Leiva. “I did not know we were so similar in cultural things, like when the South Asian Students Association hosted Holi. It benefits everyone in the classroom because they experience all these different perspectives from all over the world right here at LMU. It can be eye-opening to live and experience a different culture and place, and it can change the way you see the world. This experience has been so different, but I have learned so much from it.”
Some of Leiva’s experiences in Argentina are related to organization and schedule. “During my time at LMU, things have been very structured and scheduled, so I have had to be more organized,” said Leiva. “I wasn’t always this organized in high school, so when I go home during breaks or to visit, I find myself craving that organization and a schedule. Before I came to LMU, I also had the perception that people in America may not be as family-oriented, but I’ve found that not true since living on campus. Many of my local friends return home every other weekend to be with their families or attend family functions. I have seen how family-oriented people in America are.”
Leiva has found success at LMU by stepping into being her own person and taking on what it means to become an adult. “My experience at LMU has been so impactful in helping me become the person I am today,” said Leiva. “LMU has given me a spirit and a passion for helping people wherever I can. Fostering generosity is encouraged here and has helped me grow. I’m still growing as a professional between my classes, my relationships with my professors, my leadership roles, and my on-campus job. I’m always helping people, and that has been the impact of LMU’s mission and values on my life, and I know when I’m older, these values will still impact me as a person to look back on.”
Helping people and making an impact was part of why Leiva has been working with six other students to bring back the International Student Association to support all the international students on campus. “As an international student, I know and experienced many of the ups and downs you can have during your time here at LMU,” said Leiva. “I have found so much support; I want to give that back to other students who would be in the same place I have been in. I also want them to know where they can receive support; for me, that has been places like the Office for International Students and Scholars (OISS). The team there has helped me so much, from helping me register for classes to talking to advisors and helping me obtain things like a travel signature to go back home to Argentina. Denise Folga, director for OISS, has been a tremendous support for me as an international student. I also connect with her as the advisor for my service organization, Belles. The team in OISS really understands us as international students and knows how different things can be and feel here, and they have been able to work with me through things.”
Beyond being an international student, Leiva has found a second home by being part of the Belles service organization. She sees the opportunity to give back and serve in the community as rewarding. She also serves on the e-board for the Residence Hall Association (RHA) as the director of internal affairs, managing the finances and their inventory. Through this role, she’s been able to see and feel the impact of connections by helping to plan a monthly meeting that RHA hosts for residents to meet with on-campus departments and find solutions to things impacting the residential life community.
Leiva also serves as a peer advisor in Career and Professional Development, where she helps other students with their resumes, cover letters, interview prep, and anything career related. “Staff in CPD have helped to guide me, but also allowed me the room to create my sports career panel event and plan it from start to finish,” said Leiva. “I loved the opportunity to recruit people to speak on the panel and write the questions we were going to ask, and it has been a great way for me to grow my skills.”
From all these experiences, Leiva advises international students to explore the campus community as much as possible. “Attend the involvement fairs at the beginning of the semesters, and don’t be afraid to try something new,” said Leiva. “I have found a place for everyone here at LMU, and you just have to find it.” Once she graduates from LMU, Leiva hopes to pursue a career in the finance sector of sports or entertainment industries. Ultimately, she would love to find a way to repay or celebrate how much her parents gave her to have this experience at LMU.
