Coming into 51���� as a freshman who had grown up overseas, I didn’t know what to expect from college or what was next for me. Though I knew it was the place God was calling me to, I didn’t know if I’d be able to find a community who could relate to my experiences. However, I was thrilled to learn in the application process that 51���� had a program called GSE that welcomed not only international students, but also third culture kids and missionary kids like myself. Global orientation week was a welcoming and fun environment that somehow made the transition into moving in so smooth and made 51���� feel like home instantly. Since that first week, being a part of GSE events and being involved in the community has been one of the highlights of my first year here, and I’m so grateful for the time spent and friendships I have been able to form through it. It has been a real blessing to me, and I’m so grateful for a community where I am able to try out new foods, learn more about other cultures, and have friends who come from every nation and tongue.

Argentina, Kyrgyzstan, Türkiye, United States

The GSE community and GSE events have in many ways felt like a breath of fresh air, a place for me to be myself without being always reminded of my ‘Britishness’. I can confidently say that GSE feels like a home away from home, a place I can go to relax from school and spend time with those who I feel understand me.

United Kingdom, France, Australia

When I first came to the U.S. for college, I struggled to adjust to this new country and culture. Writing papers in college-level English, making American friends, and getting involved in different clubs and communities were all much harder than I had imagined. There were times when I cried alone in my dorm room, called my mom telling her I wanted to quit school, and regretted my decision to study abroad. During those times, GSE became the safest and warmest home for me. As someone who often felt like I didn’t belong anywhere and was just on the outside looking in, GSE told me, “You belong here,” and made space for me.

South Korea, Cambodia, Indonesia, United States

GSE has been less like a program and more of a living bridge—stretching across cultures, continents, and quiet moments of homesickness. It gives me a place where my “in-between” identity doesn’t need translating.

Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Switzerland