♪♪ >> I'M FROM NIGERIA.

I GREW UP IN LAGOS.

I CHOSE TO COME TO THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY BECAUSE OF MY INTERESTS.

♪♪ >> INTERESTINGLY, I WAS LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO STAY BECAUSE I WAS ARRIVING SOME WEEKS EARLIER THEN WHEN I START.

I MET WITH MY PROFESSOR, AND HE MENTIONED INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIPS.

I FEEL LIKE THE WHOLE FAMILY THING AND THEN I GOT AN E-MAIL FROM JUDI SAYING I'M GOING TO BE YOUR HOST WHEN YOU COME TO THE U.S. >> I PICKED HER UP FROM THE AIRPORT AND BROUGHT HER HOME AND FED HER A NICE MEAL AND JUST WANTED HER TO MAKE HER FEEL AT HOME HERE.

>> I THINK THE NEXT DAY, WE JUST KIND OF LIKE DROVE AROUND.

SHE TOOK ME TO LUNCH AND SHE'S LIKE, OKAY, YOU NEED TO START GETTING USED TO AMERICAN FOOD SO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU LIKE AND DON'T LIKE.

WE ALSO WENT TO VISIT THE COLUMBUS ZOO, AND I GOT TO LIKE SEE SO MANY ANIMALS I HADN'T SEEN IN REAL LIFE.

AND THE NEXT DAY, SHE ASKED ME LIKE, WHAT'S MY SCHEDULE AND WHAT DO I NEED TO GET DONE IN SCHOOL.

I REMEMBER THEY PRINTED OUT THE MAP OF OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY.

YOU NEED TO GET HERE, THIS IS HOW TO GO ABOUT HERE.

>> I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO PROVIDE AS MUCH SUPPORT AS WE CAN TO RUTH BECAUSE COMING THOUSANDS OF MILES AWAY INTO A NEW COUNTRY YOU'VE NEVER BEEN INVOLVED WITH HAS GOT TO BE REALLY MIND BOGGLING AND WE WANT TO MAKE HER FEEL AS WELCOME AS POSSIBLE AND HELP HER AS BEST WE CAN TO MAKE HER FEEL COMFORTABLE TO SUPPORT HER, AND JUST TO BE THERE WHEN SHE NEEDS A FRIEND.

>> THEY HELPED ME GET SETTLED, KNOW SOME COMMON PLACES, SOME COMMON RULES, THE DOS AND THE DON'TS, THAT MIGHT BE QUITE DIFFERENT FROM WHERE I WAS COMING.

>> FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR, IS THERE ANYTHING YOU NEED FOR YOUR APARTMENT?

YOUR MATTRESS IS WORKING NOW?

>> UH-HUH.

>> YOU LIKE THAT?

>> WE WANTED HER TO BE PREPARED ONCE SHE MOVED INTO HER APARTMENT AN SHE WAS ON HER OWN, SHE WAS AT LEAST A LITTLE BIT FAMILIAR WITH WHAT TO EXPECT.

>> SO ONE THING I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT COMING TO THE U.S. WAS AS A Ph.D. STUDENT, SOME STORIES I'VE HEARD FROM OTHERS, THIS COULD BE -- FOR SOCIAL ACTIVITIES.

I WANTED TO BE MORE OUTGOING, CONNECT WITH MORE PEOPLE, BUT THE QUESTION WAS HOW?

♪♪ AND SO TRUE INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIPS, THEY REALLY GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY -- MY TO-DO LIST.

FOR EXAMPLE, THE WELCOME PARTY WHICH HAPPENS ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, IS REALLY LIKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET OTHER FRIENDS FROM LIKE SO MANY COUNTRIES AND JUST SO MUCH FUN.

>> WE START OFF WITH A WELCOME PICNIC AND A WELCOME PARTY TO KIND OF GET THE STUDENTS TOGETHER AND TO BE MINGLING WITH VOLUNTEERS THAT SERVE WITH THE INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIPS AND STAFF AND ONE ANOTHER.

THEY GET TO MEET OTHER STUDENTS FROM VARIOUS CULTURES.

>> WE HAVE A LOT OF CULTURAL ACTIVITIES THAT ARE AMERICAN LIKE THE THANKSGIVING, A CHRISTMAS HOSTING PROGRAM.

>> I GOT A CHANCE TO GO TO INDIANA AND EXPLORE A NEW PART OF THE U.S. GETTING TO LIKE KNOW MORE ABOUT THE TOWN, THE AMISH COMMUNITY, IT IS SO MUCH FUN.

♪♪ >> THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY IS A HUGE CAMPUS, AND THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THERE FROM VARIOUS CULTURES.

INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIPS ALLOWS THEM TO CONNECT WITH AMERICAN FAMILIES, TO HELP THEM PERFECT THEIR ENGLISH LANGUAGE, TO HELP ACCLIMATE THEM TO THE CITY OF COLUMBUS, TO GIVE THEM SOME EXPERIENCES OUTSIDE OF THE LARGER CITY OF COLUMBUS, AND JUST BE FAMILY TO THEM.

THAT IS JUST A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE HERE IN COLUMBUS WITH THESE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS.

THEY'RE COMING TO US, AND WE JUST WELCOME THEM AND HELP THEM TO FEEL AT HOME.

>> A LOT OF PEOPLE FIND IT REALLY DIFFICULT SETTLING IN A NEW COUNTRY, IN A NEW ENVIRONMENT, DIFFERENT FROM THEIRS, BUT, YOU KNOW, HAVING AN ORGANIZATION LIKE INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIPS THAT KIND OF SUPPORTS THEM UNTIL THEY ARE STABLE, NOT JUST HELP YOU SETTLING AND THAT'S IT, BUT, YOU KNOW, WILLING TO ALSO FOLLOW UP ON HOW YOU'RE DOING IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.

SOMEONE OUT THERE CARES.

>> INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIPS STARTED HERE IN COLUMBUS, OHIO, BACK IN 1979, WHO JUST HAD A VISION OF WELCOMING INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS TO THE UNITED STATES.

>> JUST TRACING HOW FAR BACK INTERNATIONAL FRIENDSHIPS HAS BEEN HERE IN COLUMBUS AND THE THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS THAT THEY SERVED, YOU KNOW, JUST MAKES IT MORE SPECIAL AND ALSO THE HEART THAT THEY HAVE TO SERVE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD.

♪♪ AS A CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY ONE OF THE CORE VALUES IN OUR COMMUNITY IS THAT WE ARE LOVE BEINGS.

WE SHOW LOVE TO PEOPLE IRRESPECTIVE OF WHO THEY ARE, WHERE THEY'RE FROM OR WHATEVER THEIR BELIEFS ARE IN AND SO THIS IS LIKE THE DRIVING FORCE.

THIS IS WHY EVEN IN IFI WE CELEBRATE THE LUNAR NEW YEAR WITH THE CHINESE STUDENTS, WE GET TO CELEBRATE THE INDIAN FESTIVAL WITH THE INDIAN STUDENTS, AND, YOU KNOW, JUST TELLING THE INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS WE CELEBRATE YOUR CULTURE AND RESPECT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU, IRRESPECTIVE OF WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM.

INTERESTINGLY, MOST OF THE PEOPLE I REALLY HANG OUT MOST NOW ARE ACTUALLY PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES, AND SO THAT'S A UNIQUE GIFT THAT I'VE COME TO CHERISH.

>> THE LAST SEVERAL TIMES THAT RUTH HAS COME, SHE HAS BROUGHT FRIENDS WITH HER.

I THINK THIS PAST INDEPENDENCE DAY WE HAD SEVEN OF THEM, SO IN SOME WAYS, WE ARE ALREADY WELCOMING OTHER STUDENTS INTO OUR HOME AND EVERY PERSON IS UNIQUE AND DIFFERENT AND THEY ALL BRING DIFFERENT BLESSINGS TO US.

I STARTED THIS IN THE BEGINNING TO HELP A STUDENT BECOME MORE ACCUSTOMED TO BE MORE WELCOMING HERE, BUT I THINK I'VE GOTTEN AS MUCH OUT OF THIS AS RUTH HAS.

>> I CALL THEM MY MOM AND DAD NOW.

I CAN SAY IT'S GONE BEYOND THEM BEING MY HOST FAMILY.

I CAN SAY THAT THEY ARE MY FAMILY HERE NOW IN COLUMBUS IN THE U.S. >> OUR INITIAL INTENTION WAS TO WELCOME A STUDENT FOR FOUR DAYS, AND WE UNDERESTIMATED HOW THAT STUDENT WOULD BECOME PART OF OUR HEARTS.

AND THAT FOUR DAYS, HOPEFULLY, WILL END UP BEING SIX YEARS OR LONGER.

♪♪