One thing Guilford College has become known for is welcoming a very diverse student body. And that doesn’t just stop at the U.S. border. Guilford has become a home to many students from all over the world: Japan, Brazil, Palestine, and more.
The International Club has been an essential part of international students’ experience at Guilford College, helping them enjoy the full American experience. “In the past, we’ve had a day at the beach, we’ve had bonfires, gone to baseball games, and also gone ice skating,” says Chris Howard, the club’s vice president.
Aside from the events the club sponsors, it also holds weekly meetings where club members can generally meet and talk with each other about what’s coming up.
The International Club helps international students adjust to attending college in a new environment and connects them with other people who are in the same situation, giving them someone to relate to.
“I like how nice the people are,” said Michi Nagasawa, an international student from Japan currently studying abroad here at Guilford. “In Japan, everyone is very shy and introverted, but here everyone will come and talk to you.”
Joining the International Club also gives every member a chance to interact with people from all over the world, experience different cultures, and share their own.
Felicia Harder, another member of the International Club, is from Switzerland and plays on the Guilford women’s soccer team.
“One of the biggest differences I’ve noticed between the U.S. is education,” Harder said, “Here in America, you live on campus, where your best friends might live right beside and you easily go and ask them. ‘Hey, you want to hang out?’ or ‘Hey, you want to grab dinner?’”.
The diversity of Guilford’s community doesn’t just apply to traditional students. Christine Schwarz is an Austrian doctoral candidate, currently dual enrolled at both Guilford and Rutgers University. She also works with incarcerated people in the Guilford College area. After she completes work on her doctorate, Schwarz plans to become an assistant professor in Gonzaga University’s sociology and criminology department.
“I came here from a connection with Kyle Farmbry, the president of the College, who used to be the Dean of Rutgers’ graduate school,” she said. “I like how social everyone is, and the sense of community everyone has. Also, there are a lot of options for careers here as well.“
