Energize Your Summer at UI 🌞

Join us for a summer full of community, culture, and wellness.

New Energy at UI

Hi *|FNAME|*

Fresh energy is flowing into UI house this summer! Longer days, new experiences, and plenty of ways to connect. Fill your summer with learning a language, fine-tuning your Salsa moves, connecting at a conversation club, or practicing your tree pose.

Tree pose, you say? 👀 🤔 (Psst..we’ve got something new to share, so keep reading to find out more.)

*Hint* it has something to do with the dynamic duo seen above!

See What’s Happening 👉

In the Mix This Week

Phrase We Love

Lesson We Learned

What We’re Listening to 🎶

Movement brings us together 🤝

Say hello to the amazing women behind Move With Sol, our newest partner at Upstate International! They’re bringing all the wellness wisdom, contagious energy, and passion to make low-cost wellness classes fun and accessible for everyone.

We’re so excited to add a fresh new way for our members and local community to move, recharge, and feel good together.

As always, huge thanks to our members for sharing your talents, services, creativity, and all-around good vibes with Upstate International. You’re what makes this community so special, and we can’t wait to keep growing together and building on the incredible foundation that continues to make Upstate International a cornerstone of the Upstate.

-Upstate International Team

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Don’t Miss This 👀

2026 SC Primary Election

Statewide Primary Elections will be Tuesday June 9th. Be sure to check your voter status and your polling station location.

Voting Info

Soles for Africa

Consider donating your new or like-new shoes to Soles for Africa. We are accepting shoes now until the end of June. Look for the box at UI House.

They’re Hiring

Clemson is looking for a

International Employment and Tax Specialist. Check out the link below to see the job listing

Apply

Free Citizenship Class

Are you on the pathway to naturalized citizenship in the USA?

Don’t prepare alone! Just Say Something (850 S. Pleasantburg Road, Greenville) will be hosting a FREE citizenship course series provided by Upstate English for All.

Participants who attend 6 of the 8 sessions will receive a full tuition waiver. Books and materials are $40.

Monday evenings (June 1 – July 27)

6:15 – 7:15 PM

No class on Monday, July 6

For more information, please email [email protected]

Email Now

Who is Move With Sol? ☀️

Move With Sol is all about creating space for joyful, approachable movement that meets people where they are, no matter their experience or fitness level. And we are here for it!

Siggy and Melissa have a simple, but vital vision: make local fitness not only easy to find, but also easy to access and participate in.

We say ‘simple’ because while it may seem intutitive, reality is much more complicated.

Gym memberships or fitness classes are not finanically feasible for a large portion of our local population. Not to mention a number of other reasons that may prevent someone from joining one of the many fitness businesses in the area.

That is where Melissa and Siggy decided to bridge the gap between visibility and accessibility. They started Move With Sol with the vision to empower anyone to become a part of their diverse fitness community here in Greenville.

So…who can benefit from Move With Sol?

Answer:

Initimidated beginners or those returning after a break
Individuals seeking affordable and welcoming wellness opportunities
Older adults, busy parents, and others facing time or accessibility barriers
Underrepresented communities that may not feel included in traditional fitness spaces
Local instructors and wellness providers looking to connect with more people in their community

That is why we are so very thrilled to be partnering with them and bringing their vision to Upstate International. It feels like a natural fit to combine our values of cross-cultural connection, inclusion, and community-building, and bring them into a new space through movement and wellness.

They are offering a *free* yoga class for UI members! $7 for non-members.

Check Out the Class

Meet the Visionaries

Siggy Woodfork

Where were you born? Right here in Greenville, South Carolina.

Did you spend your childhood there? I sure did, technically I grew up in Greer.

Did you live anywhere outside of the U.S.? I’ve lived in a couple of cities in France (Paris & Dijon) and have spent a lot of time in Montreal, Canada and Lisbon, Portugal. I work remotely and use it as an excuse to travel as often I can, I just got back from Marrakech, Morocco.

What did you do before starting Move With Sol? Move with Sol is a passion project that Melissa and I run alongside my day job. I’m an Account Director at an advertising agency based out of NYC.

What called you to do community work like that? After coming back to Greenville during the pandemic I was craving a diverse fitness community to run with/ sweat with/ socialize with. When I couldn’t find one I was determined to create one myself.

If you could learn a new language what would it be? It’s my lifelong pursuit to be fluent in French. I have a decent level but definitely could use a refresher.

What are some other causes you are passionate about? Cross-cultural connections. I am made to travel and I love learning about new cultures.

If you had a theme song that played anytime you walked into a room, what would it be? 1er Gaou by Magic System

Melissa Baker

Where were you born? Dominican Republic

Did you spend your childhood there? Nope! Spent most of my childhood living in New York.

Did you live anywhere outside of the U.S.? Dominican Republic

What did you do before starting Move With Sol? I worked in a private practice.

What called you to do community work like that? Siggy and I really bonded over our love for movement. Whether we were marathon training, doing tennis or yoga— I found so much joy in being able to see at least one person in the room that looked like me.

Visibility and representation matters so deeply to me when it comes to movement in any space. Seeing our community continue to grow motivates me!

If you could learn a new language what would it be? Portuguese

What are some other causes you are passionate about? Linguistic research that focuses on understanding the benefits of multilingualism and equitable access to healthcare.