At St. Edward’s, international students often begin their application journey with David Bernay, director of international admission and advancement, and Patricia Medina, assistant director of admission.
Bernay and Medina work closely with international applicants, guiding them through the university’s application and enrollment processes — from the moment they express interest to the day they officially enroll. The admissions office aims to build a balanced community with global representation.
St. Edward’s enrolls a large number of international students compared to other U.S. universities, because of admissions officers who only focus on them. The percentage of international Hilltoppers is higher than the national average, with a population of around 8%, compared to the national 5%.
“We just know that they make it really cool for our domestic students, even if they aren’t able to go abroad, to maybe get a little taste of what that international life is here on campus from our international students and sharing cultures and backgrounds and all of that good stuff,” Medina said. “It’s always exciting to see and we hope that we continue to grow our international student population.”
Despite the large number of international students from all over the world, Bernay said that Mexico, Honduras, Panama, France and Spain have been, respectively, the countries most represented by the group in the last five years.
International students can also benefit from the reintroduced Global Ambassador program. The program, which was discontinued during the COVID-19 pandemic, connects prospective students to current international students, offering personal support and a realistic view of life on campus. This program helps promote St. Edward’s welcoming community.
“There is a group of students here at St. Edward’s who want to see you succeed too and join the community,” Bernay said. “So, if we can even use the global ambassadors, or other people on campus, to give a hint of that support and community and vibes to the students — to understand that’s what we’re about — that’s going to make us most successful and help them understand that this is a place that’s going to welcome them when they arrive.”
Once accepted on campus, international students are encouraged to enroll in the International Student Freshman Seminar — designed to ease the transition to an American college. The seminar offers essential information about visa status, internships and work in the U.S. after college, as well as a chance to meet other international students.
“One of the most important things is to make sure that students are happy and to create a community here,” Bernay said. “The role is to create an environment that will make students successful in a lot of different ways. Not only academically, but also socially and professionally. And when you create the building blocks of that community, for international students specifically, it helps students be happier about their experience and stay longer and graduate.”
We are writing a series of articles centered around the different issues international students face, the resources available on and off campus, as well as responses designed to support this student community.
If you are an international student, you can share your story with Hilltop Views. We would love to hear your input! Contact us at [email protected] and [email protected].
