International Club Moving Forward After Losing Two Key Advisors
Club members enjoy the international dinner. Photo by Lily Dettle

International Club Moving Forward After Losing Two Key Advisors

Two key advisors for the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point International Club will be stepping down after this year.

Marcia Mace and Remya Sarma-Traynor will both be leaving the International Club after advising it for 10 years.

Mace is not only leaving, but is retiring completely from the university. Sarma-Traynor is leaving the International Club with Mace, but is not leaving the university.

Mace is currently the English as a Second Language Customized Program Coordinator and teaches Spanish.

Lara Olsen, one of the new advisors for International Club. Photo by the Office of International Education.

Lara Olsen, one of the new advisors for International Club. Photo by the Office of International Education.

Serma-Traynor is currently an instructor of Chinese. She is leaving the club because she must focus on teaching and does not have the time needed for International Club.

Both advisors chose to join the club together 10 years ago and have since become important assets.

Michelle Wilde, president of International Club, assured that there was no animosity in the advisor’s departures, but both will be dearly missed.

“They’ve been the most consistent thing this organization has had for a while,” said Wilde.

The greatest change for the club will be answering questions without the dependence on Mace and Serma-Traynor.

Both advisors have provided great support for the international and English as a Second Language students of UWSP. They have been able to make those in the International Club feel much more at home.

Two great assets will be leaving the club, but International Club will not be left without advisors. The club  still has Melissa Murray.

Murray is an International Student Success Advisor, has been an advisor for the club for about 5 years and has been teaching international students since experiencing a summer teaching English in Poland when she was in graduate school.

In addition to keeping Murray, the club will be adding a new advisor: Lara Olson.

Olson is an English as a Second Language instructor originally from Germany and has only been at UWSP for a short time. She is honored to be part of the club and is ecstatic about bringing in English as a Second Language students.

“My hope is that I will connect my ESL students to the bigger community,” said Olson.

The International Club is excited for her to come in as an advisor.

“She is so friendly, open and enthusiastic,” said Wilde.

Wilde also said that Olson will be helpful in bridging the gap between the English as a Second Language student community and the rest of the UWSP community.

The club will be losing two advisors, but will be coming back next year just as strong as ever.

 

Corey Collins

Contributor

ccoll517@uwsp.edu

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