“I left my life in my country when my husband received a transfer offer from his company to move to Saint Louis. Originally planning to stay for 3 years, the initial reluctance faded during my first year when I joined the International Spouses/Expat Women Group. This community became my lifeline, connecting me with remarkable women from around the world who shared similar struggles. The International Spouses/Expat Women group played a pivotal role in the decision to stay in STL, offering a sense of belonging from the moment I felt seen, heard, and understood. I embraced this community and continue to do so. I remain an active member of this group and have no intention of leaving. This journey has taught me that home is not just a place but a feeling, nurtured by connections and shared experiences. In St Louis, with this international women group, I found that connection, and I am sticking around.” - V. Pugliessa, 2024

“The International Spouses/Expat Women Group has changed my life. I felt very depressed and isolated when I first met Susan Gobbo. She encouraged me by introducing me to different wonderful people and helped me to find new friends. Susan arranged many opportunities for us to meet together. This group really helped me to adapt to a new culture that is very different from mine. Thank you very much for such huge support.” — O. Bielova, 2024

“My journey with the group has been transformative, evolving from a solitary individual to someone surrounded by cherished friends and meaningful connections. Joining this group has truly changed my life. One remarkable aspect is the diversity within the group. Meeting individuals from various corners of the world, exchanging experiences, and embracing cultural differences has been a truly unique and enriching experience. I feel blessed that this incredible gift came into my life at just the right time, and I want to express my gratitude for the wonderful effort you invested in growing and sustaining this vibrant group.” - N. Ramadan, 2023

“ STL International Spouses/Expat Women Group is such a wonderful, welcoming and helpful group for the foreign-born women community. Moving to a new country can be as exciting as scary, and as busy as lonely. This group is a safe place where we can share our feelings and feel understood, stay connected, have fun, get help and be helpful. I hope every foreign-born woman that arrives in St Louis may have the opportunity to meet this group. It's a win for the newcomer and a win for the STL community. A special Thanks to Susan Gobbo who, from the very first moment we met, made me feel like I belonged. I will never forget the support. ”M. Gonçalves, 2022

“ This is the best group in STL! People talk about transplants, diversity, culture.. we have it all!!! Amazing women with beautiful smiles and welcoming hearts! Thanks to this group I met fantastic individuals and true friends! Forever grateful! ” — M. M., 2022

" I grew up in large cities, non of the places as quiet as St.Louis. This group colored my life in St. Louis - even my husband (local American) feels proud of being with the group that makes St.Louis more international. I got a chance to meet wonderful people from different countries and backgrounds. If you enjoy exploring and learning about different cultures (and foods!) it's the place for you!! ” — P. D., 2022

“ This group was definitely created with love and care about people like me, who new to US and St. Louis specifically. I met many great ladies from all around the world, build connections, learn about the local culture and from each other background and we do the fun things together. I would like to thank to Susan Gobbo and her co-host for organizing such a fantastic group. ” — S. Sander, 2022

“ I met lots of amazing women from A-Z countries. The group not only help immigrant women settle into local communities and culture but also widen our view of other countries and cultures. Thank you Susan for organizing such a nice group. ” — N. Lee, 2022

This is an amazing group which connects wonderful people from all over the world and helps them feel more comfortable in the new environment by organizing interesting & fun events! I’m very thankful to Susan for introducing me to this! — A. Pfannenstiel, 2021

“ I am grateful Syl Vie told me about the St. Louis International Spouses group. The organizers had been offered some events every month, I was joined some of them, and met friends from other countries. Thank you, keep it up. ” — S. Lk, 2021 

“ This group is fantastic!! I’m grateful to be part of it, I’m meeting excellent people here, I’m an expat because my company relocated me from MX and being part of this group is making easy my STL and US culture adaptation. Thank You to Susan, the organizers and all the members!! Ihighly recommend this group!! ” — M. Rivas, 2021

“ I am grateful that I was able to find the St. Louis International Spouse, and meet Susan Gobbo and the rest of their members. They make my transition here in St. Louis very easy because they are very helpful and nice people. Talking to fellow immigrants and sharing advice with each other is calming and great, and I highly recommend this group. ” — T. Cinense, 2021

“ A wonderful group to be a part of! I'm so grateful to have met Susan, who has worked so incredibly hard to connect each and everyone from all walks of life! I have made great friendships and I'm looking forward to attending the many events this group has to offer. Thank you Susan, and all the organizers! ” — C. Stout, 2021

“ The International spouses' group has changed my life. I felt very depressed and isolated when I first met Susan Gobbo. She encouraged me by introducing me to different wonderful people and helped me to find new friends. Susan arranged many opportunities for us to meet together. This group really helped me to adapt to a new culture that is very different for me. Thank you very much for such huge support. ” — O. Bielova, 2021 

“ This is such an amazing group filled with very diverse and special ladies and everyone is welcome and embraced by the whole group. In addition to all the great meetings, we have the opportunity to meet very special women from all around the world, which is a very unique and awesome experience. This group was the best thing I've found since I moved here, three years ago, it has made my life easier, more colorful and fun. Susan is an amazing woman, always ready to lend a hand to newcomers and I am truly grateful to have met her and all the special women in this group. Thank you for doing it for us, can't wait for the next meetings! =) ” — V. Pugliessa, 2021

“ The title/name of the group might be misleading as you don't necessarily need to be an International spouse to be accepted. This group is fantastic to meet amazing women with different backgrounds, skills and experiences from over the world, get inspired and supported. There is always someone ready to help and/or link to help; someone that shares your interests/hobbies; and ready for new adventures and experiences. Just wish I knew about this group when I moved to St.Louis - my acclimatization would be easier and experiences - richer. Thank you for creating the space where I feel welcomed and not a very stranger 😅 ” — D. Dvalishvili, 2021 

“ Being part of this group has been one of the most enriching experiences in my life. The opportunity of having such a diverse network of talented women from all around the world, with very different and interesting backgrounds is something that cannot be easily found. I arrived in St. Louis in the middle of the pandemic and finding this group changed my life, making it easier. I am thankful for having the opportunity to learn more about other cultures, being able to read and discuss books together, learn to cook new dishes, have someone to help me to understand the local culture, create a new professional network, but most of all for finding new friends for life. Thank you, Annie and Susan, for all you have done for me, for your support, and for creating this group with all the opportunities it gives to us. ” — M. Pérez, 2021

I'm very grateful to be part of this group! It has helped me to meet many people and to find out about volunteering opportunities which helped me to learn new things. I'm very happy to have learned about this initiative because when one emigrates, I think it is very important to be able to meet people so that the process of adaptation is faster. Thank you Susan for this wonderful opportunity and for your excellent work, I only have a word of gratitude for this wonderful group that I wish existed everywhere in the world! ” — S. Mares, 2021

“ I believe this program is amazing, you can find interesting women, cultures, languages, and of course a super warm and very lovely welcome. You can share and learn best practices living in St Louis, this community can give you a second family, even more, when you are away from home. All the activities, opportunities, and interactions give you a big pleasure to be part of something here. And if I can say, one of the most important things that you can have in this international community is the vision and support that Susan gives in each detail, she is so into every need of each member that can tell you where to go, how can meet and speak with, etc all this to get and build excellence personal and business relationships. I also want to thank every member that had helped me during my journey. ” — B. Morlet, 2021

“ I love St. Louis International Spouses Meetup group! When I move to the U.S.A. I was feeling really lonely because I couldn't work while being in the immigration process and I have a lot of time free. Thanks to God somebody talk to me about this group and contacted me with Susan. There are a lot of types of events to socialize, have fun, and even educational ones. This group brought me a lot of happiness, friends, and connections to find a job in my career. Definitely is a group where we can support each other because there are a lot of us in the same situation and we all understand the difficulties of the process of moving from home. Thank you so much, Susan and everybody in this group! ” — L. Forero, 2021

“ This group is amazing! We meet very interesting people, we share how it is to be part of an international community, our home away from home. We have the opportunity to explore and learn so much about St Louis, in a very welcoming environment! I am happy to be a member! Thank you for being there for us! ” — L. Salaro, 2021

“ I am extremely glad to be a part of this amazing community! This group of wonderful and devoted ladies made and still continues to make a positive impact on the St. Louis region in general. What makes this community great are passionate and dedicated members which gathered together around the common goal – to ease the adaptation process and help the foreigners to integrate in the St. Louis community. When foreigners come to the USA, they feel social isolation and frustration. The STL International Spouses group organizes a lot of meaningful events connecting people from different corners of our world, thus acclimating them to the American way of living. I wish the BEST for this group! ” — S. Alasgarli, 2021 

"The sister programs, International Spouses Group (ISG) and International Mentoring Program (IMP), have transformed the lives of my family. My spouse Parizod and I relocated to St. Louis in 2017, after I accepted an assistant professor position at Washington University. We didn't know anyone in the city, which made our adaptation to St. Louis a challenge. One of the main problems was that Parizod didn't have a job here, so she lacked her own local network and struggled to find friends. However, once Parizod connected to these two wonderful programs, she started building a local network and learning about the city, which has led to many new friendships and experiences. This changed our relationship with St. Louis and allowed us to build the type of life we wanted here. Over the years, I have learned more about the uniqueness of these programs, which run spectacularly well via the charismatic leadership of Susan Gobbo and Annie Schlafly. I never miss an opportunity to recommend ISP and IMP to new international colleagues and friends."  — U. Kamilov, 2021

"I am thrilled to be part of this group in STL, it kindly hosted me in US, since then is being a very helpful source of friendships, knowledge, professional support, networking, fun gatherings and finally, a safe port, in which I can feel at home with other international women. I am thankful for the incredible support, connections and to have many activities with great speakers, even during the pandemic time. " — T. Lehfeld, 2021.

“I moved to Saint Louis as an expatriate employee for Anheuser-Busch Brewery, working as a Global Project Manager. It was a hard decision making moment for the dawning of our family - I was just married and my husband was building an awesome career in Brazil. He’s also an Engineer, and was working as a Project Manager in Aircraft Industry, with a promotion opportunity arising at the same time I got my expatriation proposal. We finally decided it was time for us to take a bigger challenge and experience living abroad – so he left his job, facing the challenge of the unknown, with no job waiting for him in US. The International Spouses group was a welcoming community that helped us quickly grow our network in Saint Louis – and besides all the psychological and social support for our adaptation, very soon we realized networking would be key for my husband to get a job. Even as a certified PMP®, he faced many challenges to get his work permit released, put together a resume (which differs a lot from what we’re used to in Brazil), go through several interviews, facing language barriers. So the International group, through Susan Gobbo, started a Professional Shadowing Program, with an opportunity for my husband to join a Project Management Company and get to build the network he needed in the Engineering workspace in St. Louis. The Shadowing Program opened the door for a job opportunity in his area, and it was only after that our family could finally feel complete and fulfilled. It is crucial to have this family support for any expatriate employee arriving in St. Louis. We are very grateful for this community and all the hope they brought into our lives.” — C. Pallaro, 2021.

“ When we moved to St. Louis, we had no social acquaintances. As a new resident of the US, it was especially difficult to meet people and my social circle was very limited. Luckily I found this meetup group and I was able to build friendships. They host many cultural events and social get-togethers, even online seminars and activities. I hope if you find this group, please don’t hesitate to join us! ”  — J. Park, 2021.

“ I love this group!!! This group has completely changed my experience as an international woman here in St Louis! It helped me a lot with my transition process. I met amazing women from different cultures! This group also gave me the opportunity to work as a volunteer. Thank you so much, Susan and Ines, for building such an amazing community and working hard to make it bigger. I am so very happy to be a part of this group! ”   — S. Fisunoğlu, 2021.

“ Grateful! This is how I feel about being part of this amazing group of wonderful women. Definitely changed my life in St. Louis as a new international spouse. I've met delightful ladies that became my true friends. Thank you Susan for bringing us together! ”  — E. Vera, 2021.

“ I was very lucky to find this group of incredible and wonderful people at the very beginning of my arrival to STL. This community goes way beyond than anyone can imagine! It is the type of initiative you wish to encounter anywhere in the world. Thank you for welcoming me and so many other like-minded ladies. ”  — L. Paschke, 2021.

“ Moving to a new city in the middle of a Pandemic has been much easier with the help of this group, and especially the organizers. They have built a welcoming community. I am looking forward to in-person events when they are possible. ”  — C. Ribadeneira, 2021.

“ This is a wonderful community! They take care of us like if we were family! There is such a great variety of events that I am sure you will find a spot on your agenda to attend at least a couple. I want to thank the organizers for this amazing accomplishment :) ” — T. Lautner, 2021.

“ I'm so glad to be part of this group! I felt so welcomed and understood by meeting people that are in the same situation as me. I've learned so much about job hunting, cooking around the world and meeting amazing women. I highly recommend the program to all foreigners that I know. ”  — E. Moreira, 2021.

“ I love to be a part of this group. It allowed me to know the diverse immigrant community here in the region. It is also a great place to network and support. ”  — S. Grover, 2021.

“ I love this group! It is the best way as foreigners to know people and be part of something. I enjoy all the different activities they organize and, all the support that they offer to help us to improve our skills and also to get a smooth adaptation to the STL and USA. ” — A. Berdon, 2021.

"In all honesty, I joined the group with some level of reticence and skepticism. However, the warmth with which I was welcomed, encouraged me to join in more activities. I was exposed to more women who much like me were new to St Louis, alone and knew very few, if anyone else at all, in the city. I saw in these women exactly what I was experiencing, nervousness and fear to venture out alone but the dire need to connect with people. With wide-eyed familiarity, I read on their website the angst a young woman was experiencing in her move here and how she would go to Starbucks coffee shop to try and meet and be around people. It reinforced, in my mind, the importance and contribution of such an organization in this community. It has improved my perspective and understanding of, not only St Louis and Missouri but of Americans in general. At a most tenuous time in the world when stereotypes, xenophobia and racial tensions are high, it is an essential organization in improving individuals’ perspectives of the world." — R. Sheolal, 2020.

“ This group is very welcoming and diverse. I always meet new people and it gives me a chance of getting to know them, observes how many similarities we have and start new friendships. It has been a source of motivation to go out and to fill the day, as well as a great opportunity to have fun. I hope more international spouses sign up because this group has really made a difference in the process of getting aquatinted with St Louis and the new life of a trailing spouse ” — T. Carraro, 2020.

“ I loved to meet you all! Great people 🤩 I did many friends and it makes me feel I’m not alone in St Louis. 👯‍♀️ ”  — P. Padin on Dec 12, 2019.

“ It is the greatest group that I belong to! ” — M. Ferreira, 2018.

“ Joining this group changed my experience as an international spouse new to STL. At the very first meeting I attended I met amazing and friendly people who I now count as my friends. That also gave me the chance to connect to several volunteering opportunities, fun places and cultural exchanges. I could continue listing all the great ways in which this group (and particularly Susan) has made my life better. I’m grateful for all the love and support this group has to give! ❤️ ”  — S. Moran, 2018.

“ I’m very glad I joined this group. Everybody is so kind and excited to meet and learn from their cultures. This also found in this group the support to keep positive about the immigration process and the adaptation to a different environment. It’s great to meet people going through the same so we get to learn and share our experiences ”  — L. Nunez, 2018.

“Being part of this group is one of the best choices I have made, since I moved to Saint Louis. Amazing culture & diversity, superlative caring organizer!”  — I. Kim, 2018.

“ Nice to meet you all ”  — C. Wessel, 2018.

“ This is a very warm, inviting group with open hands to people from around the world. As an expat from Asia, I am really lucky that I got to know this group of women. Over the time we spent together, we dined, exchanged information, introduced each other to new friends, and cherished our St. Louis lives. I should also add that the sponsor 'St. Louis Mosaic Project' gives you great opportunities for jobs, connections, and more. It is a support group as much as it is a social group, and I'm certain that you can find what you are seeking in your new life in St. Louis. ;) ”  — S. Miyazaki, 2018.

“ When I went to the meeting first time, I was too afraid of speaking (my spoken English isn’t strong enough), I didn’t know anyone, and it was my first Meetup. Even though I was so nervous, everyone was so nice and so supportive! Now I try to participate in every meeting. I like this group so much! I’m happy I met all these women! If you’re new in the city and don’t know anyone, come to our meetings: we’re happy to meet new people! ”  — A. Degtereva, 2017.

“ Very warm, welcoming group. No need to worry about your ability of speaking English. We have wonderful members that support learning English, too." — Y.Urushihara, 2017.

“ Fabulous idea! ”  —  P. Pindoria, 2017.

"Very nice way to meet people and be able to exchange about the questions and difficulties we can have as international women in the U.S. Also a good way to share good moments, advices and tips about many things"   — Lucie, 2016