On Wednesday, April 15, 2026, the International Student Program (ISP) hosted its annual Global Extravaganza at the Fireside Dining Room to celebrate Skyline College’s cultural diversity. The event highlighted different cultures by inviting students and employees to represent their cultures through live performances and interactive cultural activities.
Raymund Lumanog, an international student from the Philippines, served as the event emcee. He opened the event by introducing himself and our Interim Vice President of Student Services, Dr. Lauren Ford, who delivered a warm and welcoming speech. He also introduced Nien Ngo, an international student from Vietnam, who provided English translations for most of the readings in their native language.
The performances began with Dr. Susanne Schubert, who recited the poem “Wie Ich Bin – How I Am” by the German poet Bianca Weißinger. Following this, Dr. Pia Walawalkar read a Hindi translation of the poem “Insaan – Human,” originally written in Bengali by Subhash Mukhopadhyay. Next, Nguyen Tran, another Vietnamese international student, recited “Quê Hương – My Homeland,” a poem by Nguyễn Đình Huân, written in the traditional ‘six-eight’ rhythm. The last poem was delivered by Yuen Chan, representing the Chinese Student & Scholar Association. He read an excerpt of “Recalling Old Travels and Expressing My Feelings to Governor Wei Liangzai of Jiangxia After Being Pardoned and Exiled to Yelang Amidst the Turmoil of War” and “Quiet Night Thought” by Li Bai, known to be the greatest Chinese poet of all time.
Next up was the Kababayan Learning Community (KLC). They performed a sneak peek of their upcoming Pilipino Cultural Night production, called “In The Frame”, a stage production written by KLC students in the Fall and performed in the Spring, showcasing Philippine culture through acting, singing, and dancing. Finally, the performances ended on a high note with a high-energy dance performance, delivered by AUR4 – a dance group formed by SMCCD international students and staff, including Harry Tun, Sky
Wun, Phyo Kyaw, and CK. They performed a series of K-pop hits by TWICE and Jennie (Black Pink), which the crowd really enjoyed and cheered for.
The event also showcased various cultural activities and display through tabling, with the help of our international students—such as calligraphy, a hands-on way of trying Korean, Japanese, Burmese, and Chinese scripts; Japanese origami, a fun and interactive art station for students to try, Burmese traditional instruments display and global games including Hoo Hey How (China), Cờ Cá Ngựa (Việt Nam), and Mancala (Ancient Egypt).
The event was truly successful and highlighted the vibrant cultural diversity at Skyline College. ISP is part of the Enrollment Services & Support Programs Division and will continue to provide services and programs for international students and the entire Skyline College community. If you are interested in learning more about future ISP programs and events, contact the ISP office at skyinternational@smccd.edu.
Article by Zoe Mijares and Thanh Nguyen
Photos by Clair Yeo-Sugajski and Mei Lee
