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Contact: Jennifer Anderson (andersonj@nsula.edu )
News Bureau
Northwestern State University
Natchitoches, LA 71497
(318) 357-6466
7/6/2001
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NATCHITOCHES- Isela Lopez, an international student at Northwestern State University, understands the necessity of a quality education more than most students. She came to Louisiana from Honduras to seek a way to improve her life and the lives of the people in her home country.
Lopez began her college career at NSU in the spring of 2000, due to the encouragement of her American host family, who she met while they were doing mission work in Honduras. Lopez had dreamed of studying in the United States, but did not imagine that dream would come true until she started applying to various school in Louisiana to be near her host family in DeRidder. She chose Northwestern because of their quick response to her inquiries and application.
And several groups have worked to assist her in obtaining her education. Three families, who are members of Diamond Baptist Church near DeRidder, help pay her tuition and other expenses. The church provides additional assistance as does the Beauregard Baptist Association Women's Missionary Union (WMU).
Lopez sees studying in Louisiana as an opportunity to provide the needed assistance in her home country.
"The people in Honduras are poor. The thing people are lacking most is education, on how to do a trade. Learning how to do welding, or be an electrician would be beneficial," said Lopez.
Lopez intends to use her education that she obtains in the United States to benefit the people of Honduras. After graduating with a degree in industrial technology, she hopes to open her own trade school for all students.
"The trade schools there are for men. I would like to
change that," said Lopez. "And have a school for boys
and girls to learn a trade."
Lopez wishes she could tell her follow classmates how well they have it with such a good educational system available to them. She wishes they would not take these opportunities for granted.
"Here the education is excellent," she said. "If students would go to a third world country, they would see how lucky they are to have this."
Leaning the culture of Louisiana has been one of Lopez's favorite parts of being here. Her host family has taken her on road trips all around Louisiana. But ask her what's so different here that she likes, and she echoes many Louisiana visitors.
"I like the food. It is so different. When I came here, I was a skinny girl, but not now."
Lopez has seen that the collegiate culture is different, too. Lopez has also taken on many of the habits of American students and has learned to relax.
"The way people dress is different. In Honduras, we dressed up to go to school. Here, you just go comfortably."