The Office of International Services is excited to announce Vanessa Cisneros will join the team as an International Student Advisor on Monday, October 10, 2022.
Originally from Saginaw, Michigan, Vanessa is a first generation descendant of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan. Since she was little, she had ambitions of learning about the vast world around her first-hand. This first led her to work as a Volunteer Recruiter and Coordinator with HEROES in Oakland, California. She then worked towards a Bachelor of Arts from UC Berkeley in International Relations with a concentration in Peace and Conflict Studies. During her undergraduate studies, Vanessa worked as a Literacy Tutor at the South Berkeley YMCA and Multicultural Community Center Intern at UCB. After graduation, she worked closely with the first graduating class of Gompers Preparatory Academy in San Diego as one of their College Readiness Counselors.
When given the chance to work in Gwangju, South Korea, Vanessa jumped in head first. From there she was offered a position to work with female students at King Faisal University (KFU) in Saudi Arabia. After two years of living and teaching abroad, Vanessa moved back to California to pursue a Master’s in American Indian Studies at UCLA. While studying, she also worked as Communications Coordinator for the undergraduate research training program “BUILD PODER” at California State University, Northridge.
Upon graduation, Vanessa returned to KFU as a team lead. In 2019, she obtained her CELTA with distinction from Cambridge English in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Most recently, Vanessa had the pleasure of teaching Japanese high school students in San Diego, California, and university students at Tokyo University of Technology in Hachioji, Japan.
After her extensive experience around the world, her transition to USC today blends her two professional passions: student services and international education.
As the first in her family to graduate high school, college, and graduate school, Vanessa does not take access to education for granted. Further, she understands from personal experience how earning a degree and advancing professional qualifications can change the trajectory of someone’s life. She looks forward to returning to Tovaangar (Gabrielino-Tongva Territory) and being of service to international students at USC as they cultivate their futures.
Please join us in welcoming Vanessa to her new position at OIS and the Trojan family.