Upcoming
September 2, 2026
ISMP Welcome Dinner and Info Session
Come find out who we are and how we support international students across the DC area.
American University · Washington, D.C.You don't have to
You don't have to
do this alone.
ISMP at American University is a group of volunteer mentors who meet international students here on campus. Come to one event or get matched with a mentor and start from there.
On campus
What's happening at American University.
Come and meet the mentors here. Everyone is welcome.
Upcoming
September 9, 2026
How to Connect and Build Relationships
Learn how to build relationships with classmates, professors, and the people you meet while studying here.
Sign up
Upcoming
September 16, 2026
Speed Friending
Meeting people at a new university is not easy, especially in your first weeks here. Speed Friending is a simple way to start: you sit down with one person and talk for a few minutes, then move on and meet someone new. By the end of the evening you will have met a lot of people, and you never have to walk up to a stranger on your own. Come by yourself or bring a friend. There is nothing to prepare.
Your mentors here
Some of the mentors you'll meet here.
They run the workshops, host the dinners, and stay in touch long after your first semester.
What to expect
What a mentor actually does.
01
Get help with the real things.
How to email a professor, a roommate problem, a housing question, and what looking for a job in the U.S. is really like. These are the parts of life here that nobody explains. Our mentors are unpaid volunteers who know how hard it is to move to a new country, and they are happy to help.
02
Open to everyone.
ISMP is built on Christian values, and all of our mentors are Christians. Their faith is what motivates them to volunteer and invest in the lives of international students. What you do together is practical and personal: studying, working, and building a life here. There is no requirement to be Christian to participate. Every international student is welcome.
03
You set the pace.
You meet your mentor once to start. After that, you decide how often you meet and what you talk about. Some students meet every week. Others only want to talk once, before something important like a big presentation. You can stop at any time.
01
Get help with the real things.
How to email a professor, a roommate problem, a housing question, and what looking for a job in the U.S. is really like. These are the parts of life here that nobody explains. Our mentors are unpaid volunteers who know how hard it is to move to a new country, and they are happy to help.
02
Open to everyone.
ISMP is built on Christian values, and all of our mentors are Christians. Their faith is what motivates them to volunteer and invest in the lives of international students. What you do together is practical and personal: studying, working, and building a life here. There is no requirement to be Christian to participate. Every international student is welcome.
03
You set the pace.
You meet your mentor once to start. After that, you decide how often you meet and what you talk about. Some students meet every week. Others only want to talk once, before something important like a big presentation. You can stop at any time.
“Joining ISMP was one of my best decisions because it gave me a true home away from home.”Eason Cai · Physics and Computer Science · UC Berkeley
Photos
A year at ISMP.
There are mentors at American University right now.
Tell us your year and what you want help with. It takes a few minutes.
Apply to get a mentor