�鶹��ѡ

As the world watches more than 90 countries take part in the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics this February, �鶹��ѡ celebrates its global community on a daily basis.

From customized orientation programs specifically for international students to popular campus events like the annual International Cook-Off, �鶹��ѡprovides a variety of offerings to ensure the more than 1,700 international students coming to �鶹��ѡfrom 95 countries find their home away from home at the university and feel ready to thrive on their academic journeys.

There are two primary offices at �鶹��ѡthat focus on supporting international students: the Office of Global Education, which assists international students with advising and documentation related to education abroad, and the Office of Intercultural Student Life. Ashton Leigh, director of the Office of Intercultural Student Life, says one of the most common issues the office supports is helping international students who feel homesick.

“I think the biggest thing we often end up helping with, and that we see often, is when the homesickness sets in for students, and they’ve gotten here and realized they’re not quite sure where to go to make friends and how to find community here,” Leigh said. “Their families are on a 10-hour time difference, and they miss people, and they’re studying in not their first language. And so they’re tired.”

All of these factors can weigh heavily on an international student, in addition to the pressure to succeed. Leigh says the Office of Intercultural Student Life provides a space where students can come and relax, and also offers drop-in hours multiple days each week where international students can find peer support.

“It can be very overwhelming to know what office to take your questions to and how to get help and how to learn more about what �鶹��ѡhas to offer,” Leigh pointed out. “So, we’re sort of the one-stop shop where they can start here, and we can help them.”

Another important aspect of ensuring international students feel at home is recognizing the mental health challenges that may come with being so far away from home. According to Dakota Varney, senior international student and scholar advisor in the Office of Global Education, this is an important consideration alongside the other types of services the office provides, such as assisting with immigration paperwork.

“There are two parts,” Varney said. “There is the immigration side, and just like anyone, immigration can be very confusing. It can be scary. So that’s one thing that they struggle with. On a more personal note, you know it’s adjusting to U.S. culture. A lot of countries just don’t recognize mental health as they do in the U.S. So, a lot of the mental health topics, a lot of the stress, a lot of the homesickness, it’s hard to address.

“The big thing is that they just need to know that we’re here to help,” Varney added. “We want to make sure that they’re able to continue their studies, that they have a great time at Kent and that they’re able to continue pursuing their education and reach their goals.”

Creating Genuine Campus Connections

One of the most unique programs to help support international students on campus is the FRIEND program, hosted by the Office of Intercultural Student Life. FRIEND stands for Foster: Relationships, Intercultural Experiences, Navigation skills and Discovery. The program pairs international students with American students based on shared interests and asks them to meet once a week for about 10 weeks.

When Ayna Tazhiyeva arrived at �鶹��ѡfrom Turkmenistan after a 20-hour journey, she was looking for more than just quality academics — she was searching for community. What she found through the university’s FRIEND program was exactly that: a genuine friendship with senior Olivia Williams that has helped her navigate American culture while feeling valued and understood.

For Tazhiyeva, a sophomore Honors student double-majoring in international relations and communication studies, and Williams, a senior from Akron, Ohio, studying human development and family science, their budding friendship has been a positive experience for both of them, not only providing companionship and fun but also helping to expand their understanding of different cultures and their own worldviews.

Finding Common Ground

Both students admitted to feeling nervous at their first meeting. Williams worried about striking the right balance between being welcoming without overwhelming her new friend. Tazhiyeva wondered if the meeting would feel awkward, but their concerns quickly vanished.

“She made me feel so comfortable,” Tazhiyeva recalled. “She created that environment for me, so I felt more friendly.”

Their connection deepened through the FRIEND program, which provides the paired-up students with a bingo card of activities and places on and off campus to explore. Their favorite destination? The Rathskeller in the lower level of the Kent Student Center. The two said they also enjoyed participating in the Ziggy Walk,  which was not on their bingo card but just something they decided to do together.

“I think us exploring the campus together, also supporting the cause at the time, and just having that one-on-one time and sharing our experiences,” is what made their time together meaningful, Williams said.

Cultural Exchange Beyond Stereotypes

The program has opened both students' eyes to perspectives they hadn’t encountered before. For Tazhiyeva, one of the most surprising cultural differences was something many of us in the Midwest do automatically without thinking: holding doors open for strangers and smiling.

“In the place I was raised, it’s not like a usual thing,” Tazhiyeva explained. “People don’t usually do this kind of thing. But I actually liked it, so I also started doing it. I understood that’s a mutual respect.”

For Williams, learning about Turkmenistan challenged her assumptions of a distant locale she didn’t know a lot about. The experience proved so meaningful that she incorporated what Tazhiyeva taught her into a class project, allowing other students to learn about the culture of Turkmenistan from a more personal perspective.

“That made me feel so valued,” Tazhiyeva said, “because I shared all these things with her and she actually used it at some point and all other students get to know about it.”

Pointing to the various clubs and organizations available at �鶹��ѡalongside programs like the FRIEND program, finding community becomes easy, Tazhiyeva said. 

�鶹��ѡhonestly just makes it easy to belong somewhere and have that community. You can literally just talk to somebody and boom, that's your community right there, Tazhiyeva said.

Learn more about the Office of Intercultural Student Life.

Find information about the Office of Global Education.