Indian Students Association at Virginia Tech

The Indian Students Association (ISA) is a platform to celebrate the rich culture and heritage of India and to help incoming students with the transition to the American way of life. ISA forms the largest international community on the Virginia Tech campus, with over 800 active members, students and families included. We are a strictly non-profit and non-political organization. ISA’s portfolio of social events celebrates the diverse cultural fabric, and the rich legacy of music, dance, and literature of the Indian subcontinent. We organize celebrations of myriad Indian festivals, including Diwali, Dandiya-Raas, Holi, Independence Day, and Republic Day. These festivals provide a forum for highlighting talented artists in the community. We spread awareness about everything from regional foods to pervasive social issues in India, with volunteer activities such as Aruna Run, International Cafe Hours, and exhibits at the International Street Fair. The first-ever Aruna Run at Virginia Tech raised around $6000 for combating the sexual exploitation of women in rural India. Simultaneously ISA is a network of educational, social, and professional mentoring and support for students from India. We support students in a variety of ways; from the very beginning of their time at VT, we host live chat sessions to answer their questions, offer them pick-ups from the airport, help them get started with banking and healthcare services, and suggest off-campus housings. More importantly, we help them connect with fellow students in the community and expand their network of friendly faces in Blacksburg.