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After more than a year of many international students studying remotely, Syracuse University has brought hundreds of first-year international students from around the world to campus.

James Na, along with many other international students, wants to make more connections and broaden his visions in his first year at SU.

Na, a first-year studio arts major from South Korea, enrolled at SU after he submitted his portfolio and met one of the art professors at the university.

“It was definitely not an easy decision to come all the way to the United States, like the totally opposite side of the globe,” Na said. “But I want to meet the diverse culture here and to learn from a bunch of different people (and) their lifestyles.”

Many international students told The Daily Orange that they felt welcomed during orientation week, as they were able to participate in on-campus activities and meet new people.

Stephanie Hua, a freshman nutrition science and dietetics major from Hubei, China, said while she didn’t have a specific reason to choose SU over other colleges, she was happy that she has found a sense of belonging by making new connections and getting involved with numerous activities during the first week of moving in.

“I really liked the party vibe here at Syracuse. You can make a lot of friends and connections here on campus,” Hua said in Mandarin. “I have a super sweet neighbor as well, who’s always nice to people, like a dose of sunshine.”

SU’s Center for International Services has provided transportation services to both incoming and returning international students from multiple airports, said Juan Tavares, director of the center. This year, multiple buses transported over a thousand students from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City and Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, as well as from Syracuse Hancock International Airport, before and during move-in weekend.

Some international students and parents from China also rented a charter flight with an outside travel agency, and over 280 students were on board, said Tavares, who went to John F. Kennedy International Airport in person to welcome the international students.

Stephanie Hua, a freshman at SU studying nutrition science and dietetics, is one of many first-year international students acclimating to campus-life
Courtesy of Stephanie Hua

During orientation week, student volunteers at the center also assisted new students moving in, said Ze Zeng, a junior studying business analytics and finance at the Whitman School of Management and one of the student volunteers at the center.

Around 40 student volunteers at the center — including welcome ambassadors and connection mentors — assisted first-year international students with move-in, Zeng said. The student volunteers helped with bus transportations from the airports, led campus tours and made connections with the first-year international students.

Tavares and Zeng believe such peer mentorship serves a huge role in sharing campus experiences with incoming international students and connecting them with the most relevant campus resources.

“We still have to wear masks. We still have to be careful,” Tavares said. “But I think we are over the worst. So all the things that are going to happen are going to be very positive.”

Published on September 5, 2021 at 11:11 pm

Contact Francis: btang05@syr.edu | @francis_towne