MS. ROBIN LATHROP: Good morning, good afternoon, and good evening. To our viewers joining us From around the world.
My name is Robin Lathrop I am an EducationUSA program officer here at the Bureau of Educational and Cultural
Affairs at the U.S. Department of State In Washington D.C. Before we begin, I would like to pass along
a very warm welcome from EducationUSA branch chief Brooke Spelman, who had originally planned
to be with U.S. Today, but unfortunately is not able to join us. So a very warm welcome to all of you from Brooke Spelman.
In today’s interactive episode, we’re going to take a closer look at how U.S. Colleges and universities help build community
engagement, ensure the health and wellness of international students.
Over the past year, our colleges and universities in the U.S. Have been leading the world in the development
of exciting new virtual and hybrid services. You may remember that in our previous episode,
we began to explore the topic of virtual learning. Today, we will look beyond the classroom
to how U.S. College and universities have been adapting and enhancing their virtual and hybrid services,
to better support student health and wellness, and ensure that they provide a safe and welcoming environment
for all students to learn and participate in campus life. Student health and wellness, is something the U.S. Higher
education community has been taking seriously for a long time. So today’s topic is both timely because of the pandemic
and timeless because it is so important. Our goal for the next 60 minutes is to better to quip all of you
our perspective international student audience, with an essential framework to help guide you like a roadmap.
On your path to U.S. Study. After watching today, you will be able to clearly explain why student health and wellness is
so important, describe and identify several of the most common health and wellness challenges
affecting international students, and explain how, where, and when international students can
find the health and wellness support they need. And finally, I want to make sure that you
know about EducationUSA. Our network of more than 4 3 0 student advising centers,
and 550 trained advisors around the world. Offering free services to help you
plan your education in the United States. After watching today’s program, I encourage all of our viewers to continue
learning more about today’s topic, by finding and connecting with the EducationUSA advisor,
or advising center nearest you. And as always, don’t forget, that during this program
our team will be online to answer your questions. So please feel free to post them in the comment box located
in the comments section below. OK, let’s get started. First off I would like to introduce our speakers who
collectively have a lot of information to share about international student health and wellness. Joining us From Spokane, Washington is Ken Guan.
Co-chair of the International Education Knowledge Community at NASPA. The National Association of Student Affairs administrators
of higher education. Originally from china, Ken earned his doctorate in higher education from India University, Indiana University
in Bloomington in 2017. Since then he has been focused on helping colleges and universities across the United States,
enhance their international student services. Welcome, Ken and thank you for being with U.S. Today.
Next, I’d like to introduce Sara Greicius, who is a Senior International Admissions Counselor at Kent
State University in Kent Ohio. Sara assists with all aspects of the admissions process
with particular experience working with prospective students in Africa and Latin America.
Welcome Sara, we are very excited to have you with us today. And last but certainly not least, Joining us today
we have Mohammad Almakky. Mohamad is an international graduate student from Saudi Arabia, who like Sara is also joining us
from Kent State University. Mohamad is currently working towards receiving his master’s of education in clinical mental health
counseling. Hi, Mohamad, thank you for joining us today. We are very much looking forward to hearing your perspectives.
As both an international student and as a health counseling professional.
All right, time to get started with our discussion. One of the most celebrated aspects of the U.S. Higher
education sector is the fact that all colleges and universities in the U.S. Are 100%
committed to promoting the health and well-being of their students. As events of the past year have shown,
the flexibility of the U.S. Higher education system, has allowed our institutions to lead the world
in developing innovative new virtual and hybrid approaches to student health. Despite the pandemic, U.S. colleges and universities
have not wavered. In their commitment to providing students with the best environments possible to study,
learn, and Grow. The fact that student health and wellness is so clearly a top priority in the United States,
is precisely why we wanted to explore in greater detail here with you all today.
Ken, I would like to start things off with you. Can you help? Just to help set the stage for us.
From your perspective as someone who works with not just one but many different colleges and universities, what would
you say are some of the most fundamental student health and wellness concepts that every international
student should be aware of?
And– MR. KEN GUAN: Thank you MS. LATHROP: We’ve got you Ken. MR. GUAN: Thank you, Robin.
The very first important fact, I would like to mention, is the United States is the world’s number one study
destination for international students. Every year, about one out of five or over one million international students
choose to study at colleges and universities in the United States. The reason for this is not coincidence.
So many students choose the U.S. Because, our higher education system is simply the best.
So, what makes it the top choice destination in the whole world? Well, let’s take a quick look at some of the main reasons.
I’m going to share and show a few slides. My number one point is about flexibility.
Flexibility
The flexibility of U.S. Higher education is something, I’m sure my fellow speakers are going to mention,
U.S. Colleges and universities are innovative and adaptive to face new challenges.
And it provides abundance of opportunities for personal and professional growth.
Affordability, so with over 4,000 accredited post-secondary institutions,
the United States has a school to fit a wide range of student budgets, and financial needs.
Enhanced employability. After studying in the U.S. Many people
now have agreed that earn U.S. Degree will help you land a good job.
Diverse culture, the U.S. College campuses are a perfect example of America’s diverse culture.
And last but not least, robust student services. The strength of U.S. Colleges and universities
extend well beyond the classroom, whether it’s career advising mentorship, leadership
development, financial literacy, and of course student health and wellness.
When it comes to student support services, the U.S. Colleges and universities are simply outstanding in the world.
OK, so why did I just spend the last three minutes explaining
all this six reasons above? Because keeping all these reasons fresh in your memory
will help inspire you to overcome obstacles. Remembering this six reasons will give you the strength
and energy, to rise up and face challenges when times get tough
down the road. So, let me share the next slide.
Obstacles
So remember best does not mean easy. It is important to remember that some
of the best and most rewarding things in life are challenging to achieve.
Just because the U.S. Has the best higher education system, does not mean that earning your degree will be easy.
Remember that successfully overcoming obstacles is what brings out the best in you.
So, what are the most common obstacles international students may need to overcome.
Well I’m sure that Sara and Mohamad will be discussing these things in greater detail later
in our program. So for now, I would just name a few very very quickly.
So common obstacles, social integration, culture shock,
language barrier, homesickness, and the heightened stress
and anxiety. Remember this is common for all international students
in all countries. So I don’t mean to scare you away. This is not a very fun list of things
it’s certainly not easy to think critically about the potential challenges and what might do to overcome them.
In fact, it can often be scary to think about such things or you may even feel embarrassed to talk openly
about your potential problems or weaknesses. So, a few advice, let’s look at some of the ways
Realistic Expectations
you can approach those obstacles. Realistic expectations, means being prepared.
So here’s a question. Would you rather be faced with a problem that comes as a total surprise, or be faced with a problem
that you have already prepared a few good solutions and strategies?
Obviously is always best to be prepared. Unrealistic expectation that means preventive
care physically and mentally. The act of being prepared goes hand in hand
with maintaining good health and well-being. If you’re well prepared for future challenges,
then those challenges are going to be more manageable and ultimately be much easier for you to overcome.
In terms of student health and wellness this is something we refer to as preventive care.
Students’ success is bigger than academic success. Mainly many international students
think that being prepared strictly refers to academic performance in the classroom.
But in fact, academic success is only one part of a large picture.
When we talk about student health and wellness, we always talking about the larger picture, not just
part of the picture. And find your balance, and keep your balance.
On the one hand, having realistic expectations, means you cannot ignore potential challenges.
But at the same time you also cannot overthink or worry too much about potential challenges.
In this sense achieving overall student success requires finding the right balance between those two ends.
One excellent strategy to help with achieving balance, is to break down break large tasks
down into smaller, clearer, and more manageable tasks.
So, remember you are not alone. The support networks for international students
are robust and abundance. So on that note, I’d like to end by mentioning a few more
good strategies and resources. So U.S. Colleges and universities, all
Resources
maintain healthy community and support networks. So just remember there’s always someone or some place
that you can go for help and support. When studying in the United States, you are never alone.
And search for resource and ask for help. When international students search for student support
services, they’re often amazed at how many things they can find. This is because in the United States student
health and wellness is often considered a strategic campus priority.
So to conclude my remarks, I would like to quickly list here some of the different forms
that international student support services can take. Information sharing.
U.S. Institutions communicate very efficiently they’re excellent at using the latest technology, events
online instruction systems, and tried and true orientation best practices.
Interactive opportunities. Lots of meaningful dialogues and interaction on all levels,
from freshman students all the way to University Presidents. Such interaction naturally help enrich college communities,
and also has a positive impact that extends well beyond the University walls.
So, last but not least support networks. From informal peer to peer support groups,
to designated student support personnel staff. Campus wide collaboration at U.S. Colleges and universities,
resulting in meaningful, life changing, cross-cultural experiences. And that’s really that’s what it’s all about.