Global
International Students Named Recipients of the 2025 Mestenhauser Awards for Excellence in Campus Internationalization
Posted: May 15, 2025Two international students from the University of Minnesota system have been awarded the Josef Mestenhauser Student Award for Excellence in Campus Internationalization. An undergraduate student from the Crookston campus and a graduate student from the Twin Cities campus were formally recognized at a ceremony on April 30. This award is given to students for outstanding contributions to international education and acknowledges important work being done by students at the University of Minnesota to internationalize the curriculum and campus.
The Mestenhauser Student Award honors the late Emeritus Professor Dr. Josef Mestenhauser, who dedicated his career to advocacy for and commitment to students.
The 2025 recipients—Alina Ivashchenko and Seeun (Tina) Jeon—have demonstrated a commitment to international education and have been involved in programs and activities that contribute to the University of Minnesota's mission of fostering global competence and developing global citizens.
Alina Ivashchenko
Alina Ivashchenko is an international student from Ukraine studying at the University of Minnesota Crookston majoring in Software Engineering and minoring in IT Management, Cybersecurity, and Graphic Design. Alina is the vice president of the Multicultural International Club (MIC), which promotes cultural awareness, connects domestic students with international students, and creates a community for students away from their home countries. In her role, Alina organizes campus events and volunteer opportunities. Members of the MIC collaborated with the Center for Human Environment to prepare meals from Ukraine, Bangladesh, and Nepal for individuals battling addictions. Alina also helped to organize International Week, which featured a variety of cultural events creating a valuable space for students and the Crookston community to learn about different world traditions while making new connections.
Seeun (Tina) Jeon
Seeun (Tina) Jeon is an international Ph.D. student from South Korea at the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Tina demonstrates leadership and dedication to improving the international student experience at the University. She does this by assisting undergraduate students applying to graduate school in personal statement consulting, working with fellow international students to give constructive feedback for different campus parties as a senior facilitator of the International Student Advisory Board, as well as accommodating different graduate student demographics in Council of Graduate Students social events as their programming director. Tina is passionate about teaching and her research involves supporting teachers in incorporating technologies in South Korea.