Diana Vicezar of Paraguay is heading into her third year at Pitzer College in Claremont, California.
Early in the pandemic, Vicezar could not come to the United States. She spent her first year of college learning by video from the South American country. During that time, Vicezar said she talked with over 100 international students studying in the U.S. She found out that many experienced difficulties while looking for internships or work. Besides visa restrictions, they said there was a lack of professional development resources at the schools. Some did not know about the Optional Practical Training program or OPT. It is a U.S. government program that permits international students to stay in the U.S. for one more year after graduation and work in their field of study.