End of an Era: International Student Center relocating after 32 years

For over three decades, the International Student Center at San Diego State University has been the stage for all kinds of stories at the heart of international student life on campus.

During the End of an Era celebration last month commemorating the ISC complex that’s slated for demolition, it didn’t take long for those stories to pour out.

Like the resilience of Sprina Moon of South Korea, who experienced financial troubles while attending SDSU that threatened to derail her education. Leaning on the ISC for advice and support, she found work, continued her studies and was able to graduate with “dignity.”  Today, Moon is a senior group manager for Hyundai Motor America in Washington, D.C.

Or the day Alison Peppers, a 28-year veteran at the ISC, taught an ailing student from India how to write his first check to pay for health insurance. That small gesture painted Peppers as the go-to problem solver for this student during his two years at SDSU. They became close friends. She attended his wedding and is godmother to his two children.

Or the many Thanksgiving dinners, wedding rehearsals and celebrations of life from birth to passing that the late Ron Moffatt and his family attended at the ISC.  Moffatt ran SDSU’s international student programs for nearly 25 years and was instrumental in getting the ISC complex built. 

Moffatt called the ISC “a home away from home” for international students, and it was all that for the Moffatt family, too, said daughter Dr. Kyrra Moffatt-Velez.

“We’ve shared food of every flavor, and the universal languages of laughter and music,” said Moffatt-Velez, an SDSU graduate, in written remarks. “We’ve shared classes and performances. We’ve shared the outdoors, camp retreats, hikes and playing San Diego tourist.” 

She continued, “Within this space countless memories were created, shared and continue to live on in each of us.”

SDSU has hosted more than 14,000 international students from 118 countries in the past decade.  For Spring semester this year, 1,227 international students enrolled, with India, China, Mexico, Japan and Vietnam as the top countries.  

The ISC complex is being redeveloped into the Evolve Student Housing project, creating approximately 5,200 beds, about a 4,500 net expansion.

For the next 18 months, the ISC will be housed on the ground floor of Love Library adjacent to the Mural Lounge. Large events such as Cultural Hours will take place at 5520 Hardy Drive,  which is being renamed the One World Lounge. 

The Global Education Office will be temporarily housed in the Gateway Building, while the Passport Office and the Program Development and Partnerships teams are moving to 6475 Alvarado Road.

In early 2027, the ISC, Global Education Office, Program Development and Partnerships and other International Affairs functions will move to a permanent location at Montezuma Road and Campanile Drive. A multimillion-dollar renovation of the former fraternity house is expected to begin soon. 

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While the End of an Era event was heavy in nostalgia, there is plenty to look forward to, said Ricky Paniagua, current head of the ISC. Progress is what the pioneers of SDSU’s international initiatives, Moffatt, Jim Nessheim, Jane Kalionzes and David Nepture, always sought and supported, he said.

“What I think is important is the people who work in International Affairs get to keep going with defining what ‘international’ means for SDSU,” said Paniagua. “We get to help shape it. We get to help develop it.”

Upon its 1993 opening, ISC became a place where students from very different cultural backgrounds, speaking different languages and often practicing different religions, came together to better understand each other and in doing so, helped to make the world a more just and peaceful place, said Noah Hansen, senior director of SDSU International Affairs.

“While I am sad to see the building go, what feels very good is the fact that Ron Moffatt’s legacy continues with so many of the people whose lives he impacted, not only those of us that got to work with him, but also the thousands of international students.” 

As an undergraduate from mainland China, Wenjen (Vivian) Jin threw herself into international  activities at SDSU, serving on the International Student Association and helping to organize the annual Peace Village. When she graduated, she landed a full-time job at the ISC.

Jin said the “power and spirit” of the ISC remains no matter where the office is located.

“Imagine International students. They leave their home. They leave their families, and they come to study at SDSU,” said Jin, who now works at SDSU Career Services.  “The ISC is the department that realizes they need help. They are willing to put their heart into helping international students. I am really proud that I used to belong to the ISC, from student to student assistant to staff member.”

Moffatt-Velez and the Moffatt family attended the ceremony, but she found speaking overwhelming. International student Ayman Mohammad from India, who graduated this spring, volunteered to read her speech, and separately he applauded the contributions of international students. 

“We didn’t come here just to study. We came here to build lives, to build careers, to build legacies,” said Mohammad, who, after a long search, landed a job in the U.S. two days before commencement. 

Moffatt-Velez said the ISC fulfilled her father’s dream of building a real life global village, open to the exchange of ideas and embracing diversity through shared experiences and mutual growth. 

“This may be the End of an Era. Cheers to the next chapter,” she said.  “As Ron would say: Enjoy, enjoy.”