On this page, we want to share with you the personal experiences of some recent F&M graduates. We hope this project can facilitate more conversations about students of international backgrounds, celebrate their accomplishment, and share their stories. Enjoy the videos!
In this video, Keats discusses her experiences of conducting independent research on the F&M President's house, serving as a House Advisor for Roschel College House, working as a preceptor for a CNX class about design thinking, and acting in the play Six Degrees of Separation.
In this video, Raluca discusses her home town of Bucharest, Romania, her high school experiences, and the reasons why she chose to pursue a liberal arts education at F&M.
In this video, Raluca discusses research opportunities at F&M, including information about the types of work you can do and how you can find positions. She also discusses her own experiences in the Moral Psychology lab.
In this video, Yusong (Sebastian) discusses his experience of transitioning to life in the US and at F&M after attending a public high school in China, and the challenges of culture shock and using conversational English. He also talks about his experiences as a Housing Advisor in Brooks College House and Peer Mentor at the Joseph International Center, his academic research, and his philosophy of creating memories and giving back to the community.
In this video, Olha discusses how she used different types of resources to build her English skills in order to pursue her goal of studying her academic interests outside of Ukraine. She also explains how she learned about liberal arts education and worked towards her goal with the help of opportunities like Ukraine Global Scholars, why she chose to study at F&M, and how her first-semester experience of studying abroad in Bath, UK helped prepare her for the rest of her F&M coursework.
In this video, Valentine explains why he chose F&M: the school size, which makes it really easy for students to get to know professors, and even become friends with them; and because he wasn't sure what he wanted to study when he started, and wanted to explore. He also discusses how he chose his major (a joint study in studio art and psychology) his internship experience during a gap semester, and the challenge of studying online during COVID. Finally, he discusses his capstone studio art project, which required complex technical skills to create and creatively explores the complex social situation of his hometown in China.
In this video, Sioni talks about her background and experience as the only Tanzanian student at F&M during her career. She discusses her unique path to applying to liberal arts colleges in the US, and the proactivity and independence that was necessary in that process. She also explains how she got involved in academic and extracurricular opportunities, connected with a support system, and made F&M her home. and the many ways that she brings her culture and community values into her different roles and activities at F&M.
In this video, Ziyi discusses her experience coming from a smaller city in China and studying in a public high school. She explains how her school emphasized studying and competing for the highest possible Gaokao score, and how she had to be independent and find additional resources to prepare for studying abroad (especially to take the TOEFL and SAT) outside of her high school classes. Ziyi also explains how English classes in public high schools in China tend to only focus on grammar and reading, and how she built her skills in writing and conversation through her CNX class and talking with her roommate.
In this video, Ziyi explains why she chose a liberal arts school, and the skills you learn in this type of environment. She talks about F&M's unique college houses, and how her time in Brooks College House helped her to connect with her classmates and become comfortable at F&M. Ziyi also discusses her experiences of taking a Community-Based Learning class, which allowed her to teach local primary school students in Lancaster, and conducting collaborative research as a psychology major. Finally, she talks about her favorite places on campus, and the small interactions that have made her feel supported and valued at F&M.
In this video, Ojima discusses his experience in the Nigerian secondary school system, and the misconception that many people have that English is a foreign language for him. He explains that he grew up speaking English, because Nigeria is an Anglophone country, where English is often used as a lingua franca because there are more than 500 other languages. He also discusses why he chose F&M, how the small class sizes have given him great opportunities to connect with professors, and what he has learned from his different research and internship opportunities. Finally, he talks about his path to his major, and transition to life in the US and F&M.
In this video, Teresa discusses her experience in a Japanese high school in Shenyang, China, which combined both the "Western" and "Eastern" educational systems. She also explains her first-year experience of taking F&M classes online while living together with other Chinese students in Shanghai, since she and her other classmates could not travel to the US due to COVID-19. Finally, she talks about the different experiences she's had since she came to the US, including her favorite classes, her work as a JIC Peer Mentor and Brooks College House Manager, and her participation in the College Chorus, ISAB, and Brooks College House Congress.
In this video, Xiaoyi talks about her experience of studying in different high schools in the US, which helped her decide to stay in the US for college. She also discusses her role as an International Student Peer Mentor at the JIC, and the work they do to promote an inclusive environment at F&M. Finally, she discusses her experiences of studying abroad twice as an F&M student - first in South Korea, and then in Denmark - which allowed her to explore very different educational systems and environment.