When I hear Tim McGraw, I think Taylor Swift’s favorite song. When I hear Prince Royce, I think of an old train depot packed to the brim with students of all ethnicities, cultures, and countries. When I first met Rose Vidal in 2013, I was green as a cucumber–ready to make the most of my freshman year and completely unaware that I would soon be diving into a world where you just never knew what may come around the corner next.
“Ami”, “mama”,“أمي”, “äiti”, “anne” “mamãe”, or as most of us like to call her, “international mom”. I have been fortunate enough to call Rose my friend my entire college career. Along the way she has introduced me to more culture than I can put on one plate with flavors so spicy I need some milk just looking at it. Rose has a passion for culture and understanding what makes people tick, and she is crazy good at it. Her talent places her in many areas with several different titles. She is an event coordinator for the International Club of NMSU, Co-treasurer for the Student Ambassador Club of NMSU, member of the Undergraduate Anthropology Organization, and member of the Black Student Association to name just a few. When asked why she wanted to become an Ambassador, Rose replied that international students have been a part of her life for as far back as high school and it has fueled her passion to become a mentor and resource for our visiting friends.
See you when I see you, going where the wind takes me, and bring me back something shiny. What do all these phrases have in common? There is not a single international student or NMSU student studying abroad that has not heard them. Rose uses these phrases to let students know that they have found a lifelong connection and friend in her that a simple “good-bye” could never convey.
K-pop or J-pop? Bagpipes, played by beautiful men in kilts. For those of you unfamiliar with the terms, they refer to Korean and Japanese pop, which Rose does not have a preference of one over the other. They are both trumped by Gerard Butler in a kilt.
Crazy, loving, caring, helpful, and minion obsessed are all pretty accurate terms to describe this spunky lady. As anyone who knows Rose can tell you, the way to her heart is through kimchi and Dr. Pepper. In case you were wondering what kimchi is, the sixth definition on Urban Dictionary defines it as “the answer to all life’s problems”, a definition which is heartedly seconded by Rose.
Rose has a special gift for making a positive impact on the lives of everyone she comes into contact with, myself included. I am truly blessed to call this great woman friend, and I am honored to pay tribute to her with this article. Thanks “International Mom”
Photo by Brett M Allen-Gonzales