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September 20, 2005
Hamline a home for international students
From Ecuador to Ghana, students from around the world are now finding Hamline their home away from home.
Only a couple of days before orientation began, Elise Esteves Laranjo’s plane arrived in Minneapolis from the city of Rennes, located in the western part of France. Now at Hamline, Laranjo is taking classes to further prepare herself for what she hopes to be a career in fashion.
She decided to come to the U.S. for school to improve her English language skills in a country farther away from Rennes than the United Kingdom. Once she decided to study in the U.S., the International Student Exchange Program (ISEP) provided her with a number of universities to chose from. Laranjo said she liked the courses Hamline had to offer, as well as its big city setting.
One of the biggest challenges she has had to face is adapting to a new language. Though that can be difficult at times, Laranjo said she is fortunate to be the only French student on campus. She said it forces her to integrate with other students, which in turn helps improve her English skills.
During her stay in the U.S., Laranjo said she has plans beyond the classroom. She would like to travel across the country, to get a feel for the whole country and visit the national landmarks. Her world travel plans don’t end after her stay here. Next, she want to conduct an internship in Spain and learn Spanish.
Why would someone on the other side of the world choose Hamline? Many international students said they learned about Hamline either on the Internet, by word of mouth, or though international exchange programs such as ISEP. Some incentives mentioned for coming here included the small campus and the generous financial aid.
Students from around the world come to the U.S. for a variety of reasons. Many wish to attend college simply in a setting different than their own. Dominic Amegashuti, from the west African nation of Ghana, wanted to experience another culture and a different type of education system. Radek Osmulski of Poland said, “There’s no other place you can get such an education as here.”
Many of the students agree that when comparing the students at Hamline to ones in their native cities, the general consensus is that Hamline students, and Minnesotans in general, are more outgoing and friendly.
“In Malaysia, you don’t say ‘Hi’ to someone unless you know them,” student Shaman Sathiyanandam said.
Hamline’s group of international students is ambitious to learn not only the information provided by their classes, but also about the whole new culture that surrounds them. They look forward to meeting new friends, gaining knowledge, making future connections, and, as Honduras’ Pablo Sanchez said, “Snow! I’ve never been in snow!”
Most international students reported great excitement about their time here at Hamline and in the U.S.
“I think it’s a great experience to study abroad; it’s not possible for everyone to do. I think we are lucky,” Laranjo said.
Posted by msveum at September 20, 2005 12:41 PM
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