Southern is experiencing its highest enrollment of freshmen international students under the F-1 student visa as of this year. According to Enrollment, 49 international students enrolled this semester, doubling the average enrollment of international freshmen. Currently, there are 200 international students on campus.
Since Southern does not recruit outside of the United States unless invited, many international students hear about Southern by word of mouth or through student missionaries.
Ando Razafindrabe, a junior biomedical major from Madagascar, said, “I heard about Southern from a fellow church member. Choosing Southern must have been the most irrational decision I've ever made on so many levels. I’m usually big on making ‘rational’ decisions, but this time around I decided to trust God.”
Aside from attending because of a trusted friend or family member, international students have various reasons for attending Southern.
Yoshiaki Suzuki, senior biochemistry major from Japan, said, “I decided to come to the U.S. to go to med school while keeping the Sabbath. There is a Sabbath issue with the college entrance exam in Japan. I chose Southern for its Japanese community and its conservative Adventist environment.”
However, the decision to come to a school in the United States has its challenges. The current political turmoil has made it difficult for foreigners to enter the country. Also, living in a new country and integrating into a new culture can be a difficult transition.
Vo Huy, sophomore computer science major from Vietnam, said, “The first [challenge] was culture shock. People here love sharing, keeping very few secrets and making a lot of friendships. As my English professor said, ‘Western culture values relationships; Eastern values opinions.’”
Finances may also be a challenge for international students, since they cannot receive government funding or work more than 20 hours per week under the F-1 student visa.
Therefore, an Ad-hoc committee exists on campus to support international students with the challenges they face. From the moment students land in the U.S. to the moment they graduate, and at times, post-graduation, the committee offers its services to make the students’ lives as pleasant as possible while they study.
The Ad-hoc committee is co-chaired by Elizabeth Anderson, Designated School Official (DSO) and Laurie Stankavich, English professor and English as a Second Language (ESL) Coordinator. Other members include Cheri Durst, Retention and First Year Advising Coordinator; Geovanny Ragsdale, Advancement Associate Vice President; and Laurence Chaij, adjunct professor for the Student Success Center.
Anderson is one of five DSOs on campus, which means she is certified to deal with international document-processing. She serves as a liaison between the school, the government and the students. Stankavich interacts with many of the international students through her ESL classes, which allows her to see and respond to their specific needs. Durst focuses on social activities such as trips to downtown Chattanooga, monthly Sabbath potlucks and Saturday night get-togethers.
“Southern Adventist University wants them and is willing to fight to keep them here,” Anderson said. “Our institution has placed themselves as a shield to keep them here and make their experience as smooth as possible. I’m impressed by the administration’s sensitivity to these students.”
Despite the challenges, many international students realize the benefits of difficulties and the growth they bring.
“The main advantage to being an international student is to constantly be in situations that push me past my limits,” Razafindrabe said. “If you told the younger version of me that I would be taking organic chemistry and genetics in English, she wouldn't have believed you. Taking science classes in French already felt like the hardest thing in high school, but it's amazing what God can do when you let go of fear and let Him handle your life.”
Jared Powrie, senior missions and computer science major from Australia, said, “I know it can be difficult for some, but if we can take the time to understand another person’s culture and life perspective, also realizing that they are just people trying to get through life too, then the stereotypes of the Koreans being ‘cliquey’ or the Americans knowing ‘nothing’ about the rest of the world would decrease much faster.”
Powrie continued, “So, while here at Uni we are all learning, teach them [others] something about your culture that will help them broaden their understanding of the world… and in turn listen, as they will likely be able to teach you something you didn’t know either.”
“We have a small number of international students at Southern compared with many other SDA institutions—like Andrews, for example,” Stankavich said. “However, we do believe that these students make our campus more interesting and more diverse. They bring experiences and perspectives that are valuable on a university campus. After all, broadening one’s knowledge of the world and engaging new ways of understanding is what a university education is all about.”