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Clarion University international students agree that one aspect of Clarion has made the transition to living in another country easier – the people.
"Everyone in Clarion is so nice," said Min Kim, who is now an U.S. resident but is originally from South Korea.
Joao Dutra, a Brazilian biology major, said he was nervous about coming to a small town and feared that people would discriminate against him or find him to be weird, but he was happy to find the opposite was true.
"Everyone was really lovely," Dutra said.
Indian student Malavika Vemulapalli was afraid that United States was going to be like the popular movie "Mean Girls," but was relieved to find that wasn't the case. She said she was surprised how everyone says hello when you pass by them.
The friendliness of people isn't lost on Japanese student Chiaki Okuyama. She said everyone hugs here which is not part of her culture to the point where her parents don't hug her.
"People are really friendly," Dutra said. "This is one of the biggest reasons I love Clarion."
Dutra and fellow Brazilian student Fabrizio Moura came to Clarion through a college program in their country which encourages students to travel abroad as part of their education. Like Dutra and Moura, traveling outside of their respective countries for education is the norm for many international students so feeling welcome is beneficial.
That was the case for Okuyama, who said when she was researching schools she found that many Japanese students were on the west coast because it was relatively close to Japan, but she wanted to venture farther. She discovered Clarion – on the eastern side – to be an affordable option.
Others like Canadian student Victoria Evans came to Clarion on athletic scholarships. Evans used to play volleyball.
Challenges
But choosing to travel to another country isn't without its downsides. All international students miss their family, friends and their country's food.
Dutra said in Brazil, college students don't live apart from their families. They live with them and commute to school each day. He explained that it makes him miss them more than most college students who are used to the idea of living on their own.
When Vemulapalli first came to the United States from New Delhi she thought the food was bland. Vemulapalli was used to the spicy Indian dishes her mother prepared. Now she has to get used to her mother's food when she goes home.
"When I eat my mother's food it kind of burns my throat," Vemulapalli said.
Her favorite foods in the United States are grilled cheese and tomato soup. Her fondness for Coca-Cola has increased since being here.
Also, Americans love their dressings, sauces and dips, Dutra and Moura joked back and forth.
Okuyama said she gained 11 pounds when she came here because of the food but was thrilled to discover a favorite of her country in the United States. "I got excited when I smelled soy sauce," she said.
Being from Canada, many of the customs and foods of the United States are familiar to Evans, but she had other worries. She was afraid that people wouldn't be as open minded as they are. She did, however, trick some people into believing she lived in an igloo and rode a moose to school because people often think she never gets cold as a Canadian.
Like Evans, Kim had a good time joking with fellow students regarding their misconceptions. Someone asked him if he was related to the Kim Jong-il, the former North Korean dictator.
"He's my grandfather," he joked with them.
Americans also have a black and white view when it comes to right and wrong, Vemulapalli said.
Vemulapalli said there is a lack of understanding when it comes to the Muslim religion. She said she grew up with a variety of religions being followed and everyone accepting those other religions. She said she had a grandparent who was Muslim, her mother was Hindu and her mother had Christian friends.
Another challenge for some is the language.
"I was kind of shy. I was kind of ashamed of my English," Dutra said.
Moura said he finds language struggles when he's talking to someone on the phone. It's made him realize how much he uses and relies upon body language in conversations.
Okuyama said she hesitates to ask professors to repeat something they've said in class lectures. It's also not commonplace in her culture for her to do so, as it is considered to be rude.
Moura said there's one aspect about talking in Brazil that he misses the most: "I miss socializing on the street." He said those types of things aren't done here with our open container laws and culture.
However, Moura says there is one thing he will definitely miss and it's Pennsylvania's snow.
"I like the snow but I don't like very cold weather," Moura said.
"I'm always, always cold," Vemulapalli said.
Evans added that even though she's from Canada she gets cold, too.
One final thing that all international students realize is that names are hard to pronounce and get right. The good news is that they're understanding about this issue because they struggle with it, too.
"Names are hard," Dutra said.
Benefits
Coming to the United States also has its benefits with a quality education being top of the list.
Evans said in the United States the class sizes are smaller than in Canada and that was appealing to her.
"The greatest scientists are from here and Europe," said Dutra, a biology major. "The biology major is hard. It's not an easy major."
Kim said Clarion's athletic training program also had a good reputation which made his decision to come to Clarion easier.
The U.S. reputation came into play when Okuyama made her college choice. "It's an
influential country," she said.
Safety also wasn't an issue for any of the international students. Vemulapalli saying
she came from a more dangerous place than Clarion.
Another thing all international students have in common and to their benefit is a person – retiring International Student Advisor Lynn Hepfl, who admits she's been like a mom to the students.
In her time as advisor, she's made certain they have all of their paperwork completed, that they're staying on top of their school work and that they even are wearing the appropriate clothing for the weather such as boots and warm coats during the winter season. Hepfl realizes that many of these students are coming from warmer climates and aren't accustomed to a Pennsylvania winter.
Hepfl said that she hasn't treated her job as a regular 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. shift. She said if one of the students went to the emergency room, that's where Hepfl also could be found – even if it's during the weekend.
But Hepfl hasn't regretted it.
"I just think that my personality fit that position," Hepfl said.
Taking her place as international student advisor will be Marcy Schlueter. "I think she's going to do a good job," Hepfl said.