How Christa Paull Builds Community for International Aggies

The night before her interview at Texas A&M, Christa Paull stepped into the Memorial Student Center to explore campus and discovered a student group holding a cultural concert.

“Here I was, all the way from Michigan, to interview for a position to advise the International Student Association, and it felt like fate, running into students celebrating their cultures,” Paull said.

Less than a year after being hired as the program advisor for the International Student Association (ISA), Paull received the 2026 Sponsored Advisor of the Year award, recognizing her outstanding service and mentorship to the organization. She is one of two Division of Student Affairs staff to have been honored, alongside Raye Leigh Stone who received the Partnered Advisor of the Year award.

“I came into the role and met with the ISA student executive team, leading with ‘How can I support you?’” Paull said. “I’m very thankful for the award, and in return, I dedicate it to the students because their hard work is what deserves all the recognition.”

Paull and Stone are part of a larger group of advisors at Texas A&M who support the more than 1,300 recognized student organizations on campus. Each spring, the Student Organization Leadership and Development office in the Department of Student Activities holds the annual Advisor Summit for faculty and staff to complete required training and learn in-depth about university processes for student organizations. Presentations span topics from finance and budgeting to marketing and communications to fundraising and development.

The summit also increases engagement across the broader campus community by offering networking opportunities for advisors.

“What stood out to me were people I met, including the advisor for the Aggie Spirit bus drivers, who sat at my table,” Paull said. “Being able to swap information and discuss our experiences was so insightful, especially since some of the other advisors are volunteers, which means they do their work differently.”

The Advisor’s Perspective

The ISA is a sponsored organization under MSC Programs, receiving support and guidance from the International Programs office. It serves as an umbrella organization for cultural groups and puts on events like International Week, which is a campus-wide celebration to promote the cultures represented at Texas A&M. Paull works with the 15 student leaders on the executive team to organize monthly town hall meetings and programming for the 420 members in ISA.

In her day-to-day work, Paull is behind the scenes managing budgets and coordinating logistics that bring the student executive team’s vision to life. She is also collaborating with campus partners such as the Global Engagement Office to share resources for international Aggies.

While supporting students, Paull emphasizes how she is often the student herself — learning about Texas A&M and the world from a different perspective.

“I pick up something new every day from the students because they share about their food and languages from home,” she said. “I also learn from their humility as they get used to life in Aggieland and that also helps my work to support them.”

Through these bonds, Paull has built a community space for international students, which has also shaped her own Aggie experience.

“My favorite memory so far was last year’s International Dance Night when I participated in a class held by the Korean Dance Association,” she said. “There were a lot of other Aggies there, too, because a professor had offered extra credit for those who came. Everyone was laughing and dancing.”

Building on Momentum

With a year under her belt, Paull is ready to strategically plan for the next academic year. So much so that there is a countdown to the summer on the whiteboard next to her desk. Using the information she received at the Advisor Summit, her goal is to strengthen connections between cultural organizations on campus. This includes expanding communication for ISA resources such as the International Aggie Partnership Program that awards grants to student groups that promote cultural awareness or serve international communities.

In addition, Paull is partnering with the division’s Student Affairs Planning, Assessment & Research department to better understand how ISA can provide professional and personal growth opportunities for its members through events or networking sessions.

“International students are proud to be a part of Texas A&M, and what we’re aiming to do is to help them feel more connected to the traditions here like any other Aggie.”