UW Madison · Madison, Wisconsin

You don't have to
do this alone.

ISMP at UW Madison 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.

See what's happening Get a mentor

On campus

What's happening at UW Madison.

Come and meet the mentors here. Everyone is welcome.

Happens regularly

Two Part Series: PhD & Masters: Is the Degree Enough · PhD Life Hacks

Thursday · October 22, 29

October 22, 2026 – October 29, 2026

6:00-8:00 PM
Union South, Northwoods Room, 3rd Floor

The International Student Mentorship Program and the International Student Gathering invite you to two October workshops designed to help international students succeed in school and beyond. Dinner is provided at both events. Thursday, October 22, 6:00 PM: PhD & Masters’: Is the Degree Enough? Learn the essential skills for school and the job market, including how to get stronger recommendations, understand American communication style, and make a great first impression. Hear from Matthew Kim, Senior Trial Attorney, and Chris Su, Senior Business Intelligence Analyst. Thursday, October 29, 6:00 PM: PhD Life Hacks Workshop Fair Pick up practical tips on 15-minute meal prep for busy days, everyday conversation topics with American friends, surviving Madison winters, and U.S. healthcare basics.

Upcoming

🎃 Pumpkins and Proverbs

October 30, 2026

6:30-8:30 PM
Upper House, Porch Room (365 E Campus Mall, 2nd Floor)

As a next step in our mentorship theme, we’re diving into a new two-part series on wisdom. Through real-life stories and short sayings from Proverbs—one of the most well-known works of wisdom literature in the Bible—we’ll explore how wisdom applies to the way we handle everyday challenges, relationships, and decisions about our future. We'll also celebrate fall with pumpkin carving and snacks. 📍 Upper House, Porch Room (365 E Campus Mall, 2nd Floor) 🗓️ Friday, 10/30 | 6:30 to 8:30 PM 🍲 Free Dinner & Pumpkin Carving 👔 Speaker: Nelson Chan, Senior Product Designer at REDEEM HealthShare

Happens regularly

Upcoming Events: Proverbs Series, Thanksgiving Celebration, Christmas Party

Every Friday

October 30, 2026 – December 4, 2026

6:30-8:00PM
Location shared after signup

Fall is here, and we have a full lineup of weekly gatherings. Come hungry, come curious, and bring a friend! Our Proverbs series, “Why Smart People Do Foolish Things?”, is a study of wisdom through the book of Proverbs, part of the Bible, one of the best-selling books of all time. You don’t need prior knowledge to join. If you’re curious about what this influential book has to say about life, you’re welcome to join. Together, we’ll explore some common obstacles that keep us from growing in wisdom, with delicious food!

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.

Irene WuPharmacist, Prime TherapeuticsUniversity of Minnesota, Twin Cities · PharmD

Sharon DangClinical Dietitian, SSM HealthLoma Linda University · MS, Nutritional Sciences

Fran ChanProject Engineer, Wisconsin Department of TransportationUC Berkeley · MS, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Daniel WuData Scientist, First AmericanUniversity of Minnesota, Twin Cities · MS, Biomedical Engineering

Phan DangDirector of Software Engineering, Unified Sentinel Data NetworksNational University · MS, Computer Science

Nelson ChanSenior Product Designer, REDEEM HealthShareUC Berkeley · M.Eng., Civil and Environmental Engineering

What to expect

What a mentor actually does.

Real help
Open to everyone
Your pace

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.

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.

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.