MSSU Welcomes New International Students
It is down to the final two students and a single chair. With “Barbie Girl” playing in the background, musical chairs is just as intense as it was in childhood.
At the international student orientation, students gather to learn about campus, meet each other for the first time, and express their excitement and expectations for this semester. With 85 new students out of the 143 currently enrolled, 39 countries are represented at the university. This is a huge transition for them, but they are optimistic for the year ahead.
“This is my first time out of Africa, so I’m really excited to meet new people,” said Ekane Ekawa, a computer science major from Cameroon.
“The transition has been good. People have been really, really nice,” said Antonio Pérez Campos, a third-year marketing major from Spain. “The organizers are kind and have made us feel loved.”
Kseniia Ponomarova, an international business major from Ukraine, has resided in the States for the last two years, and she’s excited for the college experience.
“I’m looking forward to having a large class size and learning from professors,” said Ponomarova. “I’m excited for my international business courses to meet people within my major and have something in common with them.”
Some students like Ekawa and Anju Kumasi Baniya, a marketing major from Nepal, plan to bring their education back home.
While Ekawa aspires to improve his country’s healthcare administration by better organizing information systems in hospitals, Baniya wants to promote her family business.
“Marketing is taught differently in Nepal than in the States,” said Baniya. “Here, I’ll be able to learn digital marking and bring that home to run the marketing side of our business.”
For Antonio Pérez Campos, he is looking forward to this semester but wants to be surprised.
“I didn’t set many expectations to allow me to be surprised by everything,” said Campos when asked about his future plans after graduating. “I’m open to wherever the tide takes me.”
