UNC campus
UNC · Chapel Hill, North Carolina

You don't have to
do this alone.

ISMP at UNC is a group of volunteer mentors who meet international students here on campus. Come to one event, or get matched with a mentor and start from there.

On campus

What's happening at UNC.

You don't need a mentor. Come and see how it feels.

Boba and Boardgames
Upcoming

August 31, 2026

Boba and Boardgames

8:00PM
Room 101, Student Union Bldg

Take a break with us over boba and board games. Some games are quick, some take a while — and you do not need to know any of them, because someone will teach you. Come on your own or bring a friend.

Your mentors here

Some of the mentors you'll meet here.

They run the workshops, host the dinners, and stay in touch long after your first semester.

Vincent Ho
Vincent HoSenior Data Analyst, Washington Gas
Elaine Ho
Elaine HoProduct Manager
Madelyn Lam
Madelyn LamDevOps Engineer, SAS
What to expect

What a mentor actually does.

  • Real help
  • Open to everyone
  • Your pace
01

Get help with the real things.

How to email a professor, a roommate problem, a housing question, and what looking for a job in the U.S. is really like. These are the parts of life here that nobody explains. Our mentors are unpaid volunteers who know how hard it is to move to a new country, and they are happy to help.

02

Open to everyone.

ISMP is built on Christian values, and all of our mentors are Christians. Their faith is what motivates them to volunteer and invest in the lives of international students. What you do together is practical and personal: studying, working, and building a life here. There is no requirement to be Christian to participate. Every international student is welcome.

03

You set the pace.

You meet your mentor once to start. After that, you decide how often you meet and what you talk about. Some students meet every week. Others only want to talk once, before something important like a big presentation. You can stop at any time.

Students at an ISMP welcome event
A large group of ISMP students and mentors at a board game night in Philadelphia
A mentor and a student holding their drinks at a cafe
Students at an ISMP welcome event
01

Get help with the real things.

How to email a professor, a roommate problem, a housing question, and what looking for a job in the U.S. is really like. These are the parts of life here that nobody explains. Our mentors are unpaid volunteers who know how hard it is to move to a new country, and they are happy to help.

A large group of ISMP students and mentors at a board game night in Philadelphia
02

Open to everyone.

ISMP is built on Christian values, and all of our mentors are Christians. Their faith is what motivates them to volunteer and invest in the lives of international students. What you do together is practical and personal: studying, working, and building a life here. There is no requirement to be Christian to participate. Every international student is welcome.

A mentor and a student holding their drinks at a cafe
03

You set the pace.

You meet your mentor once to start. After that, you decide how often you meet and what you talk about. Some students meet every week. Others only want to talk once, before something important like a big presentation. You can stop at any time.

Eason Cai
“Joining ISMP was one of my best decisions because it gave me a true home away from home.”
Eason Cai · Physics and Computer Science · UC Berkeley
Photos

A year at ISMP.

ISMP community photo
ISMP community photo
ISMP community photo
ISMP community photo
ISMP community photo
ISMP community photo
ISMP community photo
ISMP community photo
ISMP community photo
ISMP community photo
Mentors and students in front of a cherry blossom mural.
Mentors and students in front of a cherry blossom mural.
ISMP community photo
ISMP community photo
ISMP community photo
ISMP community photo
ISMP community photo
ISMP community photo
ISMP community photo
ISMP community photo
ISMP community photo
ISMP community photo
ISMP community photo
ISMP community photo
ISMP community photo
ISMP community photo
Mentors and students in front of a cherry blossom mural.
Mentors and students in front of a cherry blossom mural.

There are mentors at UNC right now.

Tell us your year and what you want help with. It takes a few minutes.

Apply to get a mentor