Overcoming Challenges as an International Student

“You gain strength, courage, and confidence from every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself: I lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.” — Eleanor Roosevelt

My daughter recently shared with me the story of her friend, an international student, who endured quite a problematic situation.

Let’s refer to the international student as Ann.

Ann came to the United States from China for her studies when she was 14 years old.

Her parents arranged for her to stay with a host family from her own home country.

The host family took Ann’s personal spending money, which her parents gave her, and used it themselves. On top of that, the host family family had strict rules for Ann. They were concerned for her safety and limited her activities to going to school and her volunteer position. The young girl wasn’t allowed to hang out with friends or enjoy typical teenage activities.

The host family had a young daughter, who would be a source of frustration for Ann by taking Ann’s belongings, hiding them, or breaking them. Ann could not address the situation effectively, as the little girl was not her own sister.

Ann’s parents told her to deal with her situation as best as she could. They wanted Ann to complete her education in the States at all costs because of the better opportunities available here.

Ann was far from home and unable to change her circumstances due to the threat of being sent back. Despite these obstacles, she persevered.

She completed her undergraduate studies at the same university as my daughter.

Ann will be attending a graduate program at a Big Ten university in the coming fall.

My husband and I had the pleasure of meeting Ann and her parents at my daughter’s recent college commencement.

The Bigger Picture: International Students in the U.S.

Per the International Educational Exchange:

“The Open Doors® 2023 Report on International Educational Exchange, released today, reveals that the United States hosted more than one million (1,057,188) international students during the 2022/2023 academic year, a 12% increase compared to the previous academic year. It is the fastest growth rate in more than 40 years. Released by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and the Institute of International Education (IIE), the report provides a critical annual benchmark on the state of international educational exchange and student mobility. International students accounted for 6% of the total U.S. higher education population and contributed nearly $38 billion to the U.S. economy according, to the U.S. Department of Commerce.”

According to the Open Doors 2023 Report on International Educational Exchange Washington, D.C. November 13, 2023:

✅ The United States has over a million international students.

✅ New international student enrollment exceeded pre-pandemic levels.

✅ International student enrollments have surged at all academic levels.

✅ China and India continue to be the two most common countries of origin for international students attending US colleges and institutions.

✅ The majority of the top locations of origin experienced rebounds.

✅ Sub-Saharan Africa has the fastest rate of growth among global regions.

✅ All main fields of study saw growth

Closing Thoughts and Takeaways

It is truly remarkable to hear about the challenges that graduate students from other countries may encounter while studying in the United States.

International students often have to leave behind their familiar support systems to pursue educational opportunities in a different country. Adjusting to new systems and cultural norms can be isolating and overwhelming, especially when financial pressures come into play.

Ann’s ability to overcome these hurdles and excel in her academic pursuits is truly commendable.

Having strong support systems in place for international students, both within academic institutions and in the wider community, is so important.

Greater awareness and advocacy are needed to protect international students’ rights and well-being.

They deserve to pursue their educational goals in a safe and nurturing environment.

What are your thoughts? Please share in the comments.

A version of this story originally appeared on Medium.