Ohio University has welcomed international students for over 100 years. With both undergraduate and graduate programs available, international students are able to gain experiential learning. This school year, OU recongizes 212 international students graduating across undergraduate, graduate and medical programs.
For many, moving away from home is a hard transition. Some students are able to visit home throughout the year; some even have the luxury of going home every weekend. For international students, home is much farther than a quick drive.
The decision to go abroad can be one of the hardest to make. Leaving home, starting fresh, all while focusing on an academic career, can be challenging. Deborah James, a sophomore studying business management, said she knew she had made the right decision once she visited OU. Coming from Hertfordshire, England, James decided to attend OU to live out her dream of playing field hockey in the U.S.
“As soon as I got onto campus, my dad and I were absolutely taken away with all the facilities, not just sports, but the lecture halls and classrooms,” James said. “It just seemed somewhere that I really wanted to be … I felt like it was home away from home.”
For those coming from abroad and facing this transition, resources like the International Student and Scholar Services are in place. The ISSS offers advising, admitted student guidance and faculty support to international students. In addition to the ISSS, OU has resources available to all students to get the most out of their time on campus.
Javier Serrano, a junior studying chemical engineering, said the sense of community on campus is what helped him thrive. Originally from Quito, Ecuador, Serrano came to the U.S. with his mother when she applied for a PhD program at OU. After experiencing Athens and OU, he decided it was the place for him as well.
Although he is still an undergraduate student, Serrano has been working on his graduate school application for a long time. His involvement with numerous on-campus organizations and work as a global ambassador for undergraduate admissions set him up for success when considering his post-graduation plans.
“Academically, I feel like the best thing OU has to offer is this R1 research institution degree that they have,” Serrano said.
Ohio University currently holds the label of being an R1 research institution. This means the university is among the highest-level research institutions in the country, as designated by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.
Serrano has been able to take advantage of resources, like the Clippinger Laboratories and compile his research to be published before he graduates. With plans to pursue a PhD in material science and physical chemistry, he made the most out of his time in Athens.
Preparing for graduation is not always a smooth process. Kosisochukwu Kalu-Uwagwu, a junior studying nursing, and Rishabh Dev, also a junior studying nursing, expressed their concerns when planning for after graduation.
Originally from Abia State, Nigeria, Kalu-Uwagwu came to OU in search of something different.
“I wanted to get the American experience,” Kalu-Uwagwu said. “I didn’t mind if I was the only international student.”
She noted that at times, this has caused challenges and hardships, but the environment at OU made it worthwhile.
“Even though sometimes I feel different, I feel like everyone has been very welcoming here,” Kalu-Uwagwu said.
Kalu-Uwagwu noted that her process toward graduation has not been easy. Through struggles with a student visa and dealing with the current job market, both Kalu-Uwagwu and Dev are focused on getting through the rest of their undergraduate times as smoothly as possible.
“Some of my friends who were in the process of getting a work release are also not getting it now,” Dev said.
One student took this process head-on, with plans from the start. Thien Pham, a senior studying communication studies, is ready to graduate and start graduate school. Pham is originally from Danang, Vietnam, and decided to attend OU due to the communication program.
Figuring out what she wanted to do was the first step, and doing everything she could to achieve it was her plan.
“I’ve known that I want to do research since my freshman year,” Pham said, “I went to conferences, I wrote papers, I collaborated with faculty members. I reach out to them and ask ‘Do you have anything for me?’”
Although Pham does not plan on staying in Athens for her graduate school, she noted that OU influenced her academic career. Looking back on what she was able to do with her time on campus and the place she was able to call home for four years, she looks at graduation as a bittersweet time.
“I feel like I’m going to miss the fact that a lot of people cared for me so much,” Pham said. “They do care a lot, and they do create so many opportunities for me to thrive and to grow, and I just realized that it wouldn't be the same.”
