Global Voices Shares the Stories of International Students

by Allison Craft, Student Public Relations Writer – January 2, 2025

Overcoming the cultural divide for international college students is the focus of a social media campaign run by a group of students at Cedarville University.

Overcoming the cultural divide for international college students is the focus of a social media campaign run by a group of students at Cedarville University. 

Through Instagram, five students have created a space that allows international students at Cedarville to share their voices and foster a deeper sense of community while they are thousands of miles away from their home and families. 

Nationally, nearly six percent of college students in the United States come from international cities, according to a report from Forbes. These international students face the struggle of navigating a new culture in addition to managing classwork and making new friends.   

“Because I am a senior (majoring in communication) and an international student, I know how stories can impact people,” said Dani Bastos, who came to Cedarville from Costa Rica. “It helps to know someone else can relate to what we are going through, to realize you aren’t the only one who is lonely or cannot go home for the holidays. As international students, we come from different countries and cultures, but many of our experiences are the same.” 

Batos is joined by other students with a similar interest in caring for international students.  

Kaylee Guetter, a senior from Rochester, Minnesota; Bethany Scott, from Tipp City, Ohio; Ema Bakalli, From Albania and Luke Randall, from Green Springs, Ohio, have joined Bastos in finding ways to make college life for international students at Cedarville more like home. On their Instagram page, students can tell their stories and be encouraged as they learn how other international students have adapted to college life in America. With Instagram’s translation option, people from all over the world have read the stories of international students at Cedarville, providing encouragement for students on other campuses as well. 

Through its placement on a global platform, this project also furthers Cedarville’s mission to proclaim the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ, because the hope students find in Jesus is featured in many of their stories.  

Bastos and the other creators of this platform encourage all students to get involved by sharing their stories or interacting in the comments to grow this encouraging community.  

Instagram users can view the page at https://www.instagram.com/cedarville.globalvoices/ 

Cedarville University, a Baptist institution in southwest Ohio, offers undergraduate and graduate residential and online programs across arts, sciences, and professional fields. With 6,384 students, it ranks among Ohio's largest private universities and is recognized by the Wall Street Journal as being among the nation’s top three evangelical universities. Cedarville is also known for its vibrant Christian community, challenging academics, and high graduation and retention rates. Learn more at cedarville.edu