At graduation, Maria Del Mar Aponte often sees students searching for her in the crowd. Some invite her to their graduation parties, while others stop to celebrate with the person who supported them throughout their time at Capital University.
For Aponte, director of the Center for Global Education, these moments show that her work extends beyond helping students complete paperwork or understand university procedures.
“Being far from home is hard, and being far from family is hard Aponte said. “I think students feel comfortable sharing that with me and any kind of struggle that they might have.”
The Center for Global Education supports Capital’s international students, study abroad opportunities, and Intensive English Program. Through each part of her role, Aponte works to ensure students have someone they can trust and a place where they feel welcome.
Her passion for international education began with her own experience of leaving San Juan, Puerto Rico, to attend the University of Dayton. While adjusting to college, she connected with international students who understood what it felt like to miss home and search for belonging at a new institution.
Aponte studied international studies, French and Arabic before studying abroad and living in Egypt and Abu Dhabi. Those experiences strengthened her desire to advocate for students who may not know where to turn for help.
“I wanted to do my best to create an inclusive sense of belonging for everyone,” she said.
That support begins before international students arrive at Capital. The center offers a virtual prearrival orientation so students can meet members of the campus community and know what to expect. Once they arrive, an early orientation gives them time to explore campus, locate their classrooms and residence halls and connect with other students.
Support continues throughout the semester through campus partnerships, social programs and opportunities for students to provide feedback. Aponte does not want to assume what students need. Instead, she asks what events interest them, what meals they would enjoy and what they want to learn about Columbus and the surrounding area.
She also connects students with campus organizations and resources so their sense of belonging can continue growing well beyond her office.
“I hope that they feel they have someone and somewhere that they can come and talk to, no matter what they need,” she said.
Aponte also believes international students strengthen Capital by sharing perspectives shaped by different cultures, educational systems and lived experiences. She hopes to bring more international students to the university while increasing awareness of the countries and cultures already represented on campus.
For Aponte, belonging means students feel comfortable sharing their true selves and exploring spaces beyond what others might expect of them. Her work helps make that possible through each conversation, connection and open door.
When students search for her at graduation, they are not simply looking for a university administrator. They are looking for someone who helped Capital feel a little more like home.