"Apart from the different cultures, they're just like us'

According to the Office of International Programs, there are 29 international students attending Winston-Salem State.
Three of these students are on a semester student-exchange program, and the other 26 came to the United States on student visas.
These students come from the countries of Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Kenya, Ethiopia, Japan, Bermuda, Barbados, Bahamas, Philippines, Nigeria, France and England.
"The number of international students has remained relatively stable at WSSU for many years," said Joti Sekhon, director of international programs.
Sekhon said it would be good for WSSU to have more international students including exchange students.
However, because of limited staff and other resources, she said the number of students they [OIP] have is what they are capable of handling.
Because of a lack of resources, there is no active campaign to increase the international student enrollment.
Most international students come to WSSU through student-exchange programs, athletics or word-of-mouth. WSSU is included in a website called studynorthcarolina.us, which provides information to potential international students.
WSSU has been seeing an increase in the Saudi Arabian student population.
There are 11 students from Saudi Arabia and most of them are in graduate programs in business, health sciences and computer science. The government of Saudi Arabia provides scholarships to many of its students to come to the United States, particularly at the graduate level.
"Initially, WSSU admitted a couple of [Saudi] students in the graduate program in Teaching English as a Second Language. They had a wonderful experience with the education they received and the word spread," Sekhon said.
Sekhon said international students are important to an institution because they diversify the environment and enrich the campus by bringing their cultures.
"Through interactions with fellow students inside and outside the classroom, they help all our students become more aware and sensitized to the world beyond our borders and develop global awareness," she said.
Charles Morton-Parker, a junior economics major from Durham, said he has learned a lot from the international students he met throughout his years at WSSU.
Morton-Parker said he became very close friends with some of the international students he met and has stayed in contact with them.
"Apart from the different cultures, they're just like us. To be honest, I think they're much friendlier," he said.
Morton-Parker said one thing that stood out to him about international students is that they are very hard workers.
Rickford Grant, international programs adviser, said of all the international students that come to WSSU, approximately 80 percent graduate.
"International students tend to take a lot of credits and do very well," Grant said.
"I usually worry about them taking too little credits and when I look at their classes, I wonder if they are trying to kill themselves."
Senior nursing major from Kenya, Andrew Chebii, said he came to the United States for a unique experience.
Chebii said learning to speak English proficiently was the hardest part of his U.S. experience. He said teachers in Kenya teach in the English language because it is more universal, but the students speak Swahili.
Avoni Seymour, a junior biology major from Bahamas, said her experience at WSSU has been great.
She said she was introduced to many things. Transferring from Missouri Baptist University, Seymour said she prefers her HBCU experience. Seymour said football and Greek life are important to the American culture, but it was all new to her.
She said she instantly fell in love with the band and the dancers.
"When I watched 'Drumline' on TV, I was like, 'I want to go to a school like that.' I've never seen that live before.
"It was new and exciting to me coming from a small laid back place and a predominantly white school in Missouri to such a diverse place," she said.
Seymour said she didn't have any problems adapting to school work.
She said her first two years of college classes were easier than her work in high school.
"It is not as intense in the United States because teachers here give you more leeway," Seymour said.