Ever-increasing enrollment is a sign that education at the University of Mississippi has become a coveted experience across the country. The desire to join the Rebel community has even reached across the globe, attracting potential students from all over the world. These international students traverse oceans in hopes of finding a new home in Oxford.
Many students have found major success during their enrollment in Ole Miss. Fifth-year student Gauree Wathodkar, a mathematics major, is from India and was pleasantly surprised by how welcoming the community has been.
“I found that the people are very accepting here. In these five years, being a woman of color, I thought that I might face some discrimination, but I never did,” Wathodkar said. “Everyone treated me with so much respect, and everyone was so accepting of me and so welcoming. Many professors in my department made me realize that I don’t have to do anything extra to fit here, and it was a very nice feeling.”
This warm welcome inspired her to start an association for women in mathematics this semester, which the math department wholeheartedly supported.
“Our department makes us feel so respected, and I am very happy about that,” Wathodkar said.“Everyone was so helpful in that and that makes you feel that you belong here and your voices count. You feel that everyone is supporting you and that is a very nice feeling.”
Although the university helps international students thrive and find a career meant for them, many struggle with anxiety over the transition. On top of prioritizing their academic grades, social activity can be a bit intimidating for some students who fear they will not be included or culturally identified by their peers.
Junior English major Kseniia Kataeva is from Russia and was worried her nationality would create problems for making new friends.
“I was kind of worried about fitting in. I know English on a good level, but we’re from different backgrounds, and I wasn’t sure that people would accept me here,” Kataeva said. “I know that people in the U.S. are friendly, but I was like, ‘Maybe they will accept me just as a student, but not as a friend or as a part of their community.’”
Sophomore Jackelyn Facio, an international studies major, although not an international student, spent a large part of her childhood in Mexico and emphasized how some international students believe their inherent identities can be an obstacle.
“Having that identity can sometimes, for a lot of people, make them think that it holds them back, especially when there’s not a lot of us here on campus. A lot of people don’t like sticking out, and that’s one of the main things that sticks you out from the rest of the people on campus,” Facio said.
To help students combat that fear and feel more welcomed, several organizations and associations emerged on campus to create a more inclusive environment for international students who may feel homesick or detached from their cultural identities.
Facio is the vice president of the Latin American Student Organization and has made deep connections with students from Spanish–speaking countries.
“We had students from Spain last year, some from Panama and a lot from Venezuela. I think they enjoy that this club exists at the university because you’re coming from a Spanish–speaking country, and you want a piece of your Latin identity here on campus,” Facio said.
Wathodkar also commented on the inclusive organizations on campus, saying they help her feel more at home.
“There is the Indian Association, Nepalese Association and the Pakistani Association, and they keep organizing events, so I never I never miss my home because of that,” Wathodkar said. “It’s also nice to see people have curiosity about those festivals, and they also join. It’s not like only people from my place join, everybody joins it, and it makes me feel more included.”
Even in personal friendships, many international students are met with admiration of their culture by American students, allowing them to talk about their cultural traditions.
Kataeva is a member of the Russian Club, teaching slang and common phrases to students, and she was impressed to see how student-led organizations can create large communities.
“I was really happy to know that here, the diversity is kind of celebrated, and it was super cool that people here actually can create their own organizations,” Kataeva said. “In my country, it’s nothing like this because we have about 99% of Russian students in our universities. It’s kind of unusual for me, but also super cool at the same time, And here I was really surprised and happy to see all this.”
Though this is Kataeva’s final semester, she wants to make an immediate return due to her newfound love for the university.
“The best thing about this university, for me personally, is the people,” Kataeva said. “I just love hanging out with people and attending different events, and I love all these activities on campus, which are organized by students. If I had a chance to come here and study, I would take it without thinking. I would really love to start here because I feel like it’s my pace of study and my environment. I love the academic attitude, teachers and all this stuff really resonates with me.”
Although some international students will be finishing their last semester in the upcoming weeks, others have made plans to stay and pursue their studies in the United States. Regardless of where their future residences are, many are assured that Ole Miss is another home as endeared to them as their native countries are.
“You will always find that there are always similarities between you and other people. They may not look the same, but you will still connect with something, and it will always get friends around,” Facio said. “You should just say hi, and things will work out.”
