Allegra's volunteering experience with the SBCC food pantry!

Hi Guys! My name is Allegra Kabukapua Kalombo, I am 20 years old and I am an international student. I am originally from Democratic Republic of the Congo in Central Africa, but I also lived in Belgium, Europe. I am currently a sophomore at SBCC. It is my third semester and I have three more semesters left. I am a Biological Sciences major right now and I want to be transferred to a 4-year university to study pharmacy. 

From the beginning of my journey here in Santa Barbara to now, a lot of things happened. One of the main things that I have been doing is organizing events for the Ambassadors program. The Ambassadors is a program that creates a space of confidence for local and international students on campus. The program does host multiple events on campus in order to bridge a connection between students. Within the program, we have people from different backgrounds and countries. I have been lucky to meet all of those beautiful people from different cultures. 

The ambassadors is not only a program that hosts events, it can also help you to find volunteering opportunities such as helping the food pantry distribution. The food pantry is part of the Center of Equity and Social Justice (CESJ) and is directed by Alondra Gonzalez. Thanks to the ambassadors’ program I have been able to volunteer and therefore help. 

Another great benefit of the food pantry is that I had the opportunity to help people. One of my greatest goals in life is to be able to help others. By joining the volunteering team, I realized how much I loved helping other people. While helping, we could discuss with the people that were coming. And, some other times we would even give advice to help. 

The greatest thing that I have gained from volunteering is family. We started out being unknown to each other. Then step by step we built a strong bond. We have seen each other the entire summer and even after the fall semester started. I met so many people there and I have enjoyed every laugh and fun times that we got. Throughout this pandemic situation, it can be hard to meet new people and have fun. But, thanks to the food pantry, my summer far from home was not that bad at all. We would meet once every week and that would be enough to highlight my week.

I have been very blessed to have the opportunity to volunteer at the food pantry distributions. It even helped me to apply for a job at the CESJ and was hired. If I could give an advice to people who are afraid to get out of their comfort zone, I would say “TRY”. You do not have to apply for the food pantry specifically, but if you have a chance anywhere else then go for it. I had an amazing experience and I am still enjoying it.

Lena's OPT (Optional Practical Training) Experience!

Hey guys! My name is Lena Nalchigar. I’m 23 years old and I moved to Santa Barbara around 3 years ago from my hometown in Sweden. After having finished 5 semesters at Santa Barbara City College, I received my Associate degree in Graphic Design and Photography and like most recent graduates, I wasn’t completely sure of what I wanted to do.

Studying abroad comes with plenty of exciting opportunities and possibilities. One of these is OPT (Optional Practical Training), which is basically a 12-month work permit to work in the United States after graduating from college. 

So, how do you apply for OPT? There are several steps in applying to OPT and a lot of paperwork to fill out. First, you need to fill out an OPT application and submit it to your college's International Student Services office. Your international advisor will provide you with a new I-20 and materials/checklist of what you will need to send to the USCIS. You will have 30 days from the date the OPT-endorsed I-20 was issued to send your application, or else you will be denied.

Graphic Design is a broad field and I chose to do my OPT before transferring to a 4-year institution. This allows me to gain hands on experience working alongside professionals in similar fields to get a glimpse of what my future work might look like and ultimately realize what I want to specialize in. Aside from this, many of the world’s biggest and most well-known companies have their headquarters here in the United States, so it is a great opportunity to gain work experience here. Finally, work experience is very helpful for growing your professional network. Learning about networking, strengths, weaknesses, what you’re good at and what kind of career you want to pursue and then ultimately, to deepen your knowledge and gain skills and experience in jobs that are related to your major.

There is a 90-day grace period from when the OPT officially starts to find a job, if you don’t find one during this time, your SEVIS is expired. In other words, you would have to go back home. Apply as early as you can - the earliest you can apply for your OPT is 90 days before graduation, but take into account the time that will take you to put your application together. Get all your forms in order beforehand so that when the day comes, you can just drop your application in the mailbox. Applying early is only about getting your EAD card (the physical Work Permit card required to be allowed to work in the U.S.) as soon as possible. Your OPT period start date—within 60 days of your graduation date—is completely up to you.

(Views from my new job in Santa Barbara)

When I applied for my OPT in February, I was told the process of receiving your EAD could take up to 4 months. In other words, I could be stuck in the US waiting for 4 months without being allowed to work. Luckily, I received my EAD in April. After receiving my card, my job hunt started. After almost 2 months of applying, I was hired at a Social Media Marketing Agency based in Santa Barbara. Right now at the agency, my responsibilities include helping clients with social media campaigns, creating ads, thinking of new and fresh content as well as monitoring our clients social media engagement. It is a very fun job and I learn something new every day. All the stress and hard work finally paid off, even when I thought It wouldn’t.

Looking back at the experience, there is nothing I would do differently. In a way, this is my first step into adulthood, and It has been a stressful, yet great and educational experience that I’ll never forget.