As the semester gets underway, more than 1,400 international students from countries spanning the globe will arrive in Syracuse to begin their Orange experience.
Acknowledging the unique needs of students who are not only acclimating to a new university but oftentimes a new country and culture, the Center for International Services, in collaboration with a host of campus partners, will offer dozens of welcome events customized for both graduate and undergraduate international students.
International Student Orientation, beginning Aug. 18, provides a strong foundation for the academic and extracurricular pursuits that await students this fall. “Our international students go through a lengthy process to get here,” says Juan Tavares, director of the Center for International Services. “First, they have to apply for a student visa, which is a time-consuming and expensive process. Many are coming to the U.S. for the first time and have very long flights. It’s important that we give them the best launch possible by providing a welcome experience that encompasses as many events as we can fit in.”
Meeti Shah
Meeti Shah G’24 is an international student from Mumbai, India, entering her second year of graduate study in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. She sees serving as a Welcome Ambassador International (WAI) as a way to “pay it forward” to younger, less experienced students after greatly benefiting from the guidance of other graduate students last summer when she arrived in Syracuse for the first time.
“It was difficult for me in the start, considering I was coming to a new country with so many differences—differences in how travel works, in how you interact with people,” Shah says. “When I came to orientation, the ambassadors were so helpful in giving us campus tours, acclimating us to the resources available at the University and answering our questions. I’ve always been inspired to help people in the same way that others helped me.”
Orientation activities for international graduate students are held this weekend and highlights include:
“The campus tours are something I’m looking forward to because it gets new students excited for how big the campus is and what things here will excite and inspire them,” says Shah. “And of course, the ice cream party—last year we had so much fun eating ice cream and then playing games in the Barnes Center. We played badminton until they asked us to leave!”
For undergraduate students, residence hall move-in begins Friday, Aug. 18, and there are several days of activities specifically designed for international students prior to general Syracuse Welcome activities kicking off Aug. 24. It is also critical for international undergraduate students to complete the international student check-in process upon arriving in the United States.
Yida He
Yida He ’26, an international relations major in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs from Xinjiang, China, serves as a member of the Goon Squad and as a WAI. He attended every single undergraduate orientation activity last year, his first year as an ambassador.
“These activities are opportunities to help others and make new friends, but serving as a WAI also helped me to know the school and its resources better,” He says. “To help others, I must see every detail, like campus tours and school medical services, so this has been a process of both teaching and learning.”
His favorite activity, besides showing new students around campus, is the shuttle bus trips to the local mall and Target retail store, which allow students to purchase essentials that may not have been practical to pack for international travel.
Fellow WAI Alex Snioch ’26, a health and exercise science major in the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics, came to the University from Massachusetts but is originally from Poland. She got involved with the Center for International Services based on her own yearning for shared culture and community as a first-year student.
Alex Snioch
“When I arrived, I wanted to connect with other European students on campus and I struggled finding that,” she says. “I visited the international center to see what programs may be available and ended up getting involved with the English Conversation Group. I saw how much the students appreciated the opportunity to feel like they were at home with others for just an hour.”
Snioch says this inspired her to become a WAI, knowing she could aid new international students in feeling more comfortable on campus, creating connections and friendships and becoming acquainted with various resources—from help finding a job on campus to all the health, wellness and medical services available at the Barnes Center.
Her advice to incoming international students is to not be hesitant to ask questions. “Reaching out for help and being vulnerable is not a bad thing!” she says. “There are a lot of resources on campus but sometimes it’s tricky figuring out where to go for what. But in my experience, people are happy to help—all you have to do is ask.”
There is no shortage of both educational and social opportunities coming up for undergraduate international students to get more familiar with the school and the Syracuse area, including:
View the full schedule of undergraduate orientation activities on the University Events calendar.
Students gather at Syracuse Welcome 2022. (Photo by Estheralice Lopez)
