Host: Welcome to Global Connections at USF. For our final episode of the year, we are excited to celebrate our graduating students who have made a lasting impact on our international student community. Today, we’re featuring Nadine Bernardino, one of our ISSS Service Award recipients. This award recognizes graduating students who have demonstrated exceptional dedication to fostering a supportive and inclusive environment for all. Nadine has been a shining example of service, advocacy, and global understanding, and we’re honored to share her inspiring story and experiences. Let’s dive in!
To briefly introduce you, Nadine Bernardino is part of the Masters of Arts and Professional Communication program, and congratulations on graduating in the Fall of 2024. So just to begin with, do you mind introducing yourself a little bit and tell us a little bit about your program? 
Nadine: Yea. I should mention I'm Nadine. My course basically is a composition of the theoretical, or visual or practical framework in communication. It's a 2 year program in USF and yeah, I'm gonna be graduating in 2 days, and I'm happy to share that I will be the commencement speaker. So. Yeah. 
Host: Wow, that is amazing, exciting. And congratulations again. So excited for you and I can't wait to hear your speech. I think it's gonna be amazing. 
So to tell us a little bit about where you are from. I believe that you're an international student here at USF and You know, our offices recognize you as one of our international student service awardees as well for this year. So, do you mind telling us a little bit about your background? 
Nadine: Yes. So I visited San Francisco. It was my first time visiting San Francisco in 2022. And then after that, I learned that my thesis mate back in college was also here studying in USF, studying a similar program. And then a part of the tour that she made for me was going to the downtown campus and then I was able to meet one of her classmates and then she was a very, you know, telling me the story, you know, it's not really, it's not super hard when you're enjoying studying, but for me, I was like, I don't want to study Masters anymore. I mean, I'm OK with a Bachelor's degree, but then her stories were really convincing, and then I, again, when I visited the campus, I felt like, you know, especially me going at that time, I'm already on on my late twenties, I thought of, you know, why not also experience that kind of university life you know, going in this, late stage of my twenties. So the next year I decided to apply and I got in, and yeah, I came from the Philippines, and it's been, I think I had a 10 year gap before doing a grad studies. In the past, I worked in several government institutions back in the Philippines, particularly in Congress and in the executive division, at the Department of Justice. 
Host: Wow, that's exciting. Well, it's good to know that you kind of Twofold, one half the work experience and then recognize that, you know, maybe doing this degree will help you kind of further in your career goals or like just add to the experience of you, like you said, wanting to be on campus and quintessential college experience that maybe you didn't or couldn't have for your undergrad, but you can through this master's program, so that's really exciting. 
Nadine: Yeah, that's correct, because I mean, aside from wanting to experience that again. I believe that as a communicator, I realized that communication is fast evolving and for instance, in the context of practical communications, everyone currently knows how to edit videos, and there are a lot of platforms and how do you stay relevant to nowadays, and that is one also of the reasons why I wanted to study to become, you know, an effective communicator and to better serve my people back in the Philippines. 
Host: Oh lovely, and so I hear you mention a little bit about your purpose with the degree, so you said that you kind of want to bring it back to the Philippines and help it serve your people. 
Is that where you see you applying the degree and all of the knowledge and like the new age kind of updates coming out with communication and I was so widely like applicable regardless of the context. 
Nadine: Yeah. Well, my intention after this program was to go back to the Philippines and go back to really serving the people. So as I mentioned, I've been in the government for many years, and I think that is the big chunk of my career. So I have worked in private sectors as well, and NGO, but I feel like working particularly in NGO and government, I feel like I can reach the people directly more. So yeah, that is why I really wanted to like after this program like you know I'll give back to them and better serve them because. 
 For those that are not knowledgeable about the Philippines, we have a high gap when it comes to literacy. There are 10.7 million out of school in the Philippines, so that alone the information gap like even if you give them instructions like for instance voting instructions or getting medical assistance, you know, those procedures, those steps, they cannot seem to comprehend easily and that is where we go, you know, that is where we bridge the gap to help them understand, to help them prepare the best material, communication material in the best way possible that fits so that the audience, so that they could, you know, so that no one gets left behind. Everyone gets to vote, everyone gets to have a medical assistant, everyone gets to process the information. 
Host: Yeah, definitely, it seems like it's very purpose driven and like you said, you're kind of building that gap between mass communication and also like literacy, like political literacy. So it's exciting that you're able to apply the experience that you've had in the Philippines working with the different governments and then now with this degree, you can start really having a bigger impact on those purposes that you've determined for yourself. So that's awesome. 
And then talking a little bit about your time here at USF. I hear that you've been involved with multiple student organizations and like in leadership roles, and you're gonna be giving the commencement speech as well. So do you want to talk a little bit about how you really got into these on-campus communities and the role that you played in handling all of them? 
Nadine: So yeah. The program is just very brief, it's just 2 years, but for a very brief time, I was the graduate coordinator at the Cultural Centers. I got in,, it was a recommendation by a friend, and then I was able to get the position. I was really thankful because they trusted me, you know. 
Hiring an international student, and most of the international students would seem to agree with me that it will be very difficult, you know, why don't they just hire someone who is local, who knows the culture, who knows the context, why would they hire an international student. I'm just really grateful to the Cultural Centers for trusting me for, you know, believing in me, even, you know, I'm just new, I don't know the context and they really, you know, they were really patient in me and providing me whatever that I can do, so that I can do, you know, the things that they know that I could do, you know, and then they really trusted me. 
And a part of, since I'm working at the Cultural Centers, I was involved in the CCFC, so this is the jacket, so this is the Cultural Focus Club. So they're the club for the cultural orgs in the USF. So I was their co-advisor and again it's just for a very brief time and part also of my crucial experience is to host Cafe International. So, I was working with our international intern at that time, and then we hosted every biweekly actually for a year. 
Host: Work very closely with the Cultural Centers and highly recommend Cafe International to all international students to stop by and kind of network, make some friends, and have a little beverage. It's exciting that you were able to coordinate that with the Cultural Center intern as well and work closely with that community as you find your space of bringing some of your expertise and communication and also like making these amazing programs for students to access. 
And I couldn't agree more with you about it being a challenge and a little bit more intimidating for international students like ourselves to find a job, be it on-campus or off-campus, and usually you have these questions in your mind where you're like a little bit hesitant like why are they hiring me when they can just go for a domestic student to fill in this position. But there is so much that international students bring with them in terms of their cultural capital, or be the ability to communicate with a wider range of audience, maybe also like students from our home countries might feel a little bit more comfortable opening up with things that they might need like resources on-campus if they see like familiar faces or hear familiar accents. 
So I wouldn't be hesitant to, you know, reach out and apply to these positions if our international students are listening in because they do bring a lot of value to these positions and we mustn't discount ourselves just because we're international students here at USF. All of our perspectives are, you know, brought to the center and tried to be upheld as much as possible. So I am thankful but that you were able to uphold that position as well and you brought a lot of diversity and amazing new fun ideas as well to the Cultural Center here at UC 4th floor, just a level below ISSS so it's really exciting that you were able to do that. 
Do you mind giving us maybe a few tips or some advice for all of the international students listening in? They might be in the same program as you or interested in pursuing a Master's in Communication, or they might be international students from the Philippines that are like, oh, I don't know San Francisco is very different from here and I don't know if I would be able to culturally adapt or find like a new home in the city. 
So do you have anything and any thoughts for them? 
Nadine: Yeah, especially for those international students who are just living alone. So, you know, for the international students, our school becomes their second home. So my advice is, if they really need something or even, you know, just wanted to belong because, you know, sometimes it's difficult, you know, that there's like a lot of cultural gaps. Especially the first 3 months living abroad, all you have to do, it's like, you know, in Harry Potter, you know, in Hogwarts, if you need something, you ask for help, and help will be given. 
In USF we have a lot of resources. It might not be exactly what you need. Say, I need money right now, of course you won't have that, but USF has its resources, has its financial services. The people or the institutions that can help you. They have, as I mentioned, over and over again, the Cultural Centers, they host a lot of cultural heritage month and the resources as well, and then we also have the Gender Sexual Center, and then we have the CAPS, and then we have the Food Pantry. You know, there's a lot of resources in the USF, again, it might not be exactly what you need, but it will bring you a step closer to what you need. 
And yeah, just ask. I think that's the most important thing. You know, if you feel like you're alone, there's also a lot of culture organizations in USF where you're very much welcome. And again, all you have to do is ask. 
Host: That's lovely advice. Thank you so much. And before we go, and any last words that you'd like to share with us? And how are you feeling this week? I know there's a lot going on. Maybe you still have papers that you need to turn in or any finals, but commencement is right around the corner. So I just want to hear your three thoughts or feelings this week? 
Nadine: I think I'm very, of course, excited, honored, and anxious because of my mother flew in last week from the Philippines. She's actually in other states right now, you know, traveling for a while. Then tomorrow, actually tonight, she'll return and then my friends also from LA will visit to attend the commencement and my cousin from Chicago. So like everyone's going, you know, they really wanted to attend and I'm actually living with my partner so I'm just really happy that everyone will be here for this Friday. And I'm just, again, you know, excited, honored, and anxious. I think those are the three words to summarize this week. 
Host: Lovely, excited, honored, and anxious. I feel you. Well, thank you so much for spending your time in this massively busy moment in your life to talk to us and share a little bit about your experience. And congratulations again, we look forward to all the amazing things you're going to do here in the US, back in the Philippines, and anywhere else in the world because we're all still going to be connected. 
Nadine: Yes, thank you so much and thank you for inviting me. 
Host: Of course. Thank you for tuning in to this special episode of Global Connections at USF. Nadine’s journey reminds us of the importance of community, stewardship, and commitment. As we wrap up the year, we hope her story inspires you to pursue your passions and continue making a meaningful impact. From all of us at ISSS, happy holidays, and we’ll see you next year with more amazing stories from our international student community!