Oklahoma Christian University has only 75 undergraduate international students and it struggled to bring new scholars for the 2020-2021 academic year. The International Program at the university seeks growth for 2021.
For the fall of 2020, the enrolment rate at Oklahoma Christian University was more than two thousand students. While it represents 45 countries, international students are still low in numbers on campus.
Assistant Director of International Programs Kelsey Herndon said the program is strong, but it could do even better.
“In the past, we had over two hundred undergraduate international students. We are trying to go back to the strongest percentage for Oklahoma Christian University and our culture.”
Brazilian professor and missionary in residency Mel Latorre was an international student at Oklahoma Christian University in 1994. He also said the program has had ups and downs.
“Most recently, it had some cuts because of financial struggles, and I think that was bad,” Latorre said. “I’m hoping as the financial situation of the university hopefully keeps improving and strengthening the international program again.”
International Student Council (ISC) President Adorateus Ngabo, from Rwanda, said the program is important because it provides international students tuition scholarship of ten thousand dollars annually.
“That really helps financially, because most students come from low-income families. That discount motivates the students,” Ngabo said.
Alongside the scholarship, the program tries to support international students before and after their arrival on campus. It offers English as a Second Language (ESL) courses for those who do not meet the admission requirements for English proficiency. They also have important partnerships with education programs in Japan and Rwanda, for example.
From airport rides to academic services, the students have the assistance they need to settle. The International Student Council promotes events and meetings as part of the inclusion process.
International Student Council Vice-President Gladys Mihigo, from Rwanda, said they try to be the voice for international students.
“Most of them are going through the same things,” she said. “We also present our countries and express our cultures.”
Herndon said while the program provides support, recruiting and immigration is an extensive amount of work.
“To get the visa… make sure they get what they need and are doing the right things through that process,” Herndon said.
Herndon said the main issue last year was with embassies being open, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Thankfully we started right before they did another shut down of borders and travel,” Herndon said. “Usually F-1 students are considered essential for travel and can still get through even when there are some lockdowns.”
However, this is not always the case. Catharina Ribeiro, a senior from Brazil went home in March of 2020 when the pandemic started and could not return to the university for the fall semester of that year.
“It was very upsetting,” Ribeiro said. “I lost an entire semester since there were not any online classes available for me.”
Ribeiro said she had to quarantine for 14 days in Mexico to get into the United States for this spring semester.
“The rule was that no one that had been in Brazil for the past two weeks would be allowed into the United States,” Ribeiro said. “So, I went to Cancun, stayed there, and only then I was able to return here.”
Herndon said the program is important because, in a globally connected world, the diverse ideas, experiences, and culture are a much richer educational experience for all the students.
“It is essential that students have an education that is not just with people that look like them, think like them, and talk like them,” he said.
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