Mercyhurst international students share cultures with students at Robert B. Wiley Community Charter School

Mohcine “Mo” Khadraoui and 12 other Mercyhurst students posing for a photo on International Day

More than 150 students at the Robert B. Wiley Community Charter School are being introduced to the cultures of a dozen different countries, thanks to the efforts of Mercyhurst University’s Mohcine “Mo” Khadraoui, an international student from Algeria.

A second-year graduate student in Special Education and Applied Disability Studies and president of Mercyhurst’s International Student Association, Khadraoui is eager to take his knowledge back to his homeland in service to his people.  

In the meantime, he is taking advantage of the reciprocal nature of the international student program that allows him to share his global perspective in classroom discussions, and to enrich the academic experience with his different viewpoints and experiences, a measure that he shares at the Wiley school, where he is teaching middle school students this semester.

On Friday, March 1, from 1 to 2:30 p.m., Khadraoui and 12 other Mercyhurst international students are hosting International Day at the school, 426 Eagle Point Blvd., where they are creating stations to share their cultures and traditions with 165 students in grades 6, 7, and 8. From different foods, to clothing, to art and language, students will experience a mini-immersion in the following countries:

  • Algeria
  • Morocco
  • Egypt
  • Liberia
  • Bahrain
  • Myanmar (Burma)
  • Bangladesh
  • Laos
  • Haiti
  • Nicaragua
  • Ghana
  • Germany

Being foreign-born and multilingual, Khadraoui had an instant connection with the numerous Hispanic children in his class who he said typically speak Spanish at home. Celebrating the differences among his young students and broadening their worldview is highly rewarding, a sentiment serving as the impetus behind International Day, he said.  

"Mo's commitment to the students at R.B. Wiley Community Charter School is undeniable,” noted Dr. Phillip Belfiore, program coordinator for Graduate Special Education and Applied Disability Studies. “This event allows Mercyhurst to come together with the Wiley community to show that embracing diversity is a learning opportunity for all."

FILE PHOTO: International students gather with Mohcine “Mo” Khadraoui, seated in white outfit with blue trim, for an earlier rendition of International Day.