With over 110 countries represented by the 2,400 international students currently enrolled at Dalhousie, diversity is an increasingly vital aspect of the university community. But it’s not always easy for international students to make the move from their home countries to a new country, city, education system, and society with different cultural practices. They often face obstacles that aren’t the norm for Canadian students. Such was the case with fourth-year biology student Sepehr (Sep) Rassi when he arrived in Halifax with his parents and brother in 2010.
“At the time I was in my third year of medicine in Iran,” says the 2015 Impact Award winner for International Student of the Year. “None of my credits transferred and I had to start my education over. It was a difficult transition at first.”
Once on campus, Sep wanted to find a way to help other international students avoid the transition problems he had experienced, assist them in adjusting to life in Canada, and encourage them to get involved at Dal. So, along with his friend Ali Vahdat, he started the Dalhousie Iranian Students Society in 2011.
“When I first arrived at Dalhousie, there were so many things that were new to me,” he says. “There was a new culture, a different language, new bank accounts and phone plans, all which can be overwhelming at first.”
Since its formation, the Iranian Society has helped over 100 Iranian students get settled and adjusted to life in Halifax. “We would have council members pick up students from the airport and help them move into their dorms/apartments and get settled in,” says Sep.
The society also helps students get involved in more events on campus. As the main organizer, Sep has helped organize over 230 cultural, social, and sporting events over the past few years, including: three Iranian New Year (Nowruz) galas, three Winter Solstice parties, three Festival of Fire parties, a badminton tournament, an indoor soccer tournament, and a photography contest.
“We also held fundraising event for an earthquake in Iran in 2012, and screened all of Iran’s national soccer team games in World Cup 2014,” says Sep. “These events helped Iranian students become more connected in the Dal community and keep them more connected to events happening back in Iran.”
Expanding his impact
While he was successful in helping Iranian students make a comfortable transition to Dal, he realized he wanted to become involved on campus on a larger scale. So in 2013 Sep joined the Dalhousie International Students Association (DISA) as a member at large. “For me it wasn’t enough just being involved in the Iranian Society,” he says. “I wanted to push myself and make a larger impact.”
This year, as the vice-president of events for DISA, Sep started a series of sporting events held in February, called International Sporting Month. He envisioned it as a way to deal with the February blues, which are often more acute with international students who have never before experienced the type of weather that comes with a Halifax winter.
“I wanted to do a series of sporting events to keep students active,” he says. “So I planned to do an indoor soccer tournament, bubble soccer tournament, and a badminton tournament. I feel it’s necessary to have such events for students and I’m having high hopes for it to improve and to include more sports in the future.”
He says his biggest achievement this year with DISA was the annual International Night gala. He drew upon the experiences of all his event planning with the two societies to ensure the night ran smoothly and was well received by the attendees.
“International Night was a dream come true thanks to all the hard work of DISA council, and more specifically, Sep Rassi,” says DISA president, Amr ElKhashab. “Without this amazing man this night would not have turned out the way it was. His hard work and dedication made it all possible.”
When not participating within the Iranian Society or DISA, Sep’s big passion is soccer. He plays intramurals for 8–10 hours per week, and has organized numerous indoor and bubble soccer tournaments for the societies over the past few years. His efforts have proved popular: he had 26 teams register for his last bubble soccer tournament.
“Being involved with the Iranian Society and DISA has forced me to mature,” he says. “It gave me much more responsibility and the opportunity to make an impact. While my English still is not perfect, getting involved forced me to push myself to improve.
“Growing up in Tehran, there was never a lot of diversity. Here at Dal, I think it’s important to learn about different cultures and appreciate what they can teach you. Embracing diversity in our community opens opportunities for growth in everybody.”