2008 Woodie Awards
A melting pot of cultures
Students from around the world speak out about their life in Vermont
Ariel Delaney
Issue date: 4/11/07 Section: News
As the spring semester winds down many Castleton students start to think about summer plans. Most work around home, but what if your home was thousands of miles away as was your family?
Not many suspect that there are such students at Castleton, because the majority live within a reasonable distance. But if you look closely, it won't take long to find international students. Some are in your classes and one recently spoke about her country during women's history month.
But what is the Castleton experience like for international students? The student handbook states that "We welcome international students on our campus; however, an international student who meets the admission requirements of Castleton will be required to submit a one-year deposit of $17,000. The international student policy at Castleton does not apply to Canadian citizens.
Since most international students don't qualify for aid, they have to pay up front. That probably is no easy feat. Most students can barely manage rent and other expenses.
The intention of this article was to interview some international students and write a nice story about how great it is that Castleton has a diverse student population.
But after talking to a few students, at least one said they didn't want this to be a piece targeting them to prove Castleton's diversity. These students denounce the common stereotype that all international students are alien to all aspects of American culture.
Many schools big and small have support systems for international students. (I learned this at the media conference in NYC.) They are called multicultural centers open to all students, yet they serve as a mediator to address the needs of international and students from diverse backgrounds. I like to stress that the following excerpts came directly from our students in their own words.
Paradise Found
My name is Catalina Alcaraz Guzmán from Medellin-Colombia. When I came to the U.S I did not know much about Vermont or even the United States. I left my country in search of becoming a filmmaker. The U.S. sells itself as a paradise where everything looks like Disneyland and magic happens for you to follow your dreams. I went to Arizona State University first, and doors were pretty much closed for Colombians in terms of opportunities and/or scholarships.
Not many suspect that there are such students at Castleton, because the majority live within a reasonable distance. But if you look closely, it won't take long to find international students. Some are in your classes and one recently spoke about her country during women's history month.
But what is the Castleton experience like for international students? The student handbook states that "We welcome international students on our campus; however, an international student who meets the admission requirements of Castleton will be required to submit a one-year deposit of $17,000. The international student policy at Castleton does not apply to Canadian citizens.
Since most international students don't qualify for aid, they have to pay up front. That probably is no easy feat. Most students can barely manage rent and other expenses.
The intention of this article was to interview some international students and write a nice story about how great it is that Castleton has a diverse student population.
But after talking to a few students, at least one said they didn't want this to be a piece targeting them to prove Castleton's diversity. These students denounce the common stereotype that all international students are alien to all aspects of American culture.
Many schools big and small have support systems for international students. (I learned this at the media conference in NYC.) They are called multicultural centers open to all students, yet they serve as a mediator to address the needs of international and students from diverse backgrounds. I like to stress that the following excerpts came directly from our students in their own words.
Paradise Found
My name is Catalina Alcaraz Guzmán from Medellin-Colombia. When I came to the U.S I did not know much about Vermont or even the United States. I left my country in search of becoming a filmmaker. The U.S. sells itself as a paradise where everything looks like Disneyland and magic happens for you to follow your dreams. I went to Arizona State University first, and doors were pretty much closed for Colombians in terms of opportunities and/or scholarships.
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