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International Student Diversity

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For many of us, it has been installed in our brains that opportunities are elsewhere and that we from underdeveloped countries must venture off to find them. But what happens when we arrive to this land of opportunity, is it all “blue skies, white picket fences and smiles all around” as the magazines say? In this paper, we will take a look at the experiences of three international students on their journey toward higher education in an unfamiliar country. Did the presence of family, friends, mentors as well as student diversity on their college campus play a role in their academic success?
Mr. Smith, Mr. Pier and Ms. Mal from Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Haiti, respectively, expressed what it felt like, leaving behind the familiar for the unfamiliar. …show more content…
And I have realized as a result of my ethnographic research, all forms and shapes of diversity are important, and it does have an affect on the academic experience of all students. During an international students society meeting at Essex County Community college, I was able to see first hand why diversity was important to them.One of the members of this society stated, “I feel like I can relate to these people when I come here, I am so lucky to have found an organization like this where I can come in and be myself and feel good about it”, while another participant said, I just love it here, they make me feel like I am a part of a community that embrasses my uniqueness” It provided them with a sense of acceptance, a sense of security, opportunities to form new friendships, and a chance to get a better perspective of diversity outside of what is broadcasted on television and social media. "College life is not restricted to the classroom. A huge part of the college experience happens after class - and for international students, integrating socially can be a hurdle" (Hopkins, 2012). It is very common for people to gravitate towards a community that they can relate to and feel comfortable in, whether that means that they are of a similar ethnic background or just a part of the same demographic, and that's what international students tend to do. But it can be hard to mingle with others who look like you, or speak the same language as you if that person is not existent on campus, hence why urging colleges/universities to be more inclusive of all national backgrounds is

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