Torn In Two

As international students, there are a lot of challenges that we face, but one of the biggest ones for me has been living in two different worlds, especially when crises happen back home, and you’re stuck watching things unfold from the side lines.

In an art class, I had the opportunity to highlight this importance through photography and I wanted to attempt to show the complexity of everyone’s individual situation. Working within International Student Services as a work study student, a volunteer with the Global Community and a member of the Student Advisory Council has helped me really understand the complexity of our situation as international students.

There’s a bit of guilt at having a new life in a new place. Sometimes I even feel like I’m betraying my history, my culture and my country.

There’s a feeling of helplessness whenever something big happens and you can’t do anything but wait for it to be over and for the news to tell you what happened.

There’s the feeling of literally being torn in two, especially when it’s time for graduation because everyone wants to know if you’re staying or going. But you haven’t even made that decision for yourself yet.

Below are the pictures from my exhibit. It was a great experience and I’m very grateful to all of these students, my friends, for sharing their stories with me. It may have been a small class but hopefully, that’s a few more people who know a little bit more of what it’s like to be an international student.