BY TISHYA KHANNA ’23
The transition to college as an international student is difficult, but Mount Holyoke College does its best to make the process as smooth as possible. From the special pre-orientation for international students to group listening sessions organized by the McCulloch Center, the College provides the necessary resources and creates a warm and welcoming environment for international students, in contrast with many other institutions.
International students often struggle with feeling like they are part of a community. American schools love to champion their international students because it makes them seem more diverse and worldly, but they often fail to consider the cultural experiences of these students and only think of them economically. This phenomenon is called the “irony of globalization.”
However, Mount Holyoke does try to make its global students feel at home by hosting various events, like the Transitions Abroad presentation, organized by the International Student Organizing Committee (ISOC). Ashley Sun ’23, from China, recalled the presentation from pre-orientation.
“The talk given by Shirley [Yuanrui Li] helped “a lot,” Sun said. She recognized and acknowledged the difficulties we face and maintaining that we’ll get through it.
“It is knowing that there’s support, knowing you have the resources to seek help when you face difficulty adjusting to the environment that really help a lot,” Sun said.
After the talk, ISOC organized an open mic night in the Great Room, where international students were greeted and welcomed with love. We opened up and got the first glimpse of who we are when we come together. In addition, ISOC regularly organizes open mic and conversational events on homesickness and emotional support.
In a study published in the Journal of College Counseling that focused on international students from Latin America and Asia, culture clash was proven to cause elevated levels of stress. Mount Holyoke recognizes the stress international students go through and offers support through ISOC.
The McCulloch Center is also helpful and easily accessible. Bri Rhodes, Director of International Student Advising, and Jennifer Medina, Senior Immigration Officer for International Students, held an informational session during pre-orientation to help us complete all the required (and rather daunting) paperwork for immigration and work policies.
“It was so useful to have [Rhodes] and [Medina] guide us through the process of filling all the documents, especially for all of us on work-study,” said Zainab Umar ’23 from Pakistan. “I could rely on them and not worry about any legal complications.”
Another addition to the smooth transition unique to Mount Holyoke is the Alum Buddy program organized by the College. Like the name suggests, each international student gets paired with an alum who they can talk to about their concerns and aspirations. All the pairs are carefully planned by Leslie Green ’94, who started the program a few years back to give back to the college and provide emotional support to incoming international students. She considers each student’s academic and outside interests, prospective majors and nationality and connects them with an alum with similar interests so the student can learn from their experiences.
Before I came to college, I spoke with my own alum buddy, Gergana Karadzhova ’12 from Germany, and got a “sneak peek” of the community and culture of the college. One month into college, and her enthusiasm makes more sense every day.
The Alum Buddies send the students packages that contain items the students will need for college. The packages contain bath and body products, a table fan, snacks and stationery — an immediate starter kit for college.
According to U.S. News, Mount Holyoke has a ethnic diversity index of 0.56, well above most liberal arts colleges including Bard (0.46) and Bennington (0.39), though there is still room for improvement.
The community is nurturing and energizing. The sense of empowerment and confidence runs through the system and makes it feel like home.
“During pre-orientation, I remember I was nervously looking for where to get my keys from and got lost and then a senior stopped and asked if I needed help. She welcomed me and led me to Blanchard Campus Center and made me realize that it was okay to ask for help. That person later became one of my TA’s and graduated last year. Now, their friends are looking out for me and that’s what the community is about—they really care about you,” Saachi Khandpur ’22 from India, recalled from her first day of college. “There’s a chain of love that naturally gets formed and you know that there’s always someone looking out for you and you’re not alone.”