Home away from home The Doggett International Center is home base for students from 30 countries

Photo Courtesy: Springfield College International Center

By Amanda Hitchcock

Students prepare to leave the warmth of Kathmandu, a lively city in Nepal, where the temperature rarely drops below the fifties, heading for the unpredictable weather of Massachusetts, with its long, cold winters. They are getting ready to leave their homes—and everyone they know—behind them. They are set to pursue their dreams of coming to college in the United States.

But where do they start? How do they even begin this journey?

It will take them 7.340 miles away from home, a time difference that is—oddly enough—10 hours and 45 minutes. For many, they will be getting on an airplane for the first time.

And the journey won’t be close to over when they finally get off the plane. International students will have to readjust their entire lives.

On the other end of the trip sits the Doggett International Center at Springfield College, the place that makes it all possible.

Photo Courtesy: Deb Alm

Heading up the International Center is Deb Alm, whose job is multi-faceted to say the least.

“Not only inbound students inspire and amaze us, but the outbound students departing on study/internship/service abroad return with a new understanding of the world, a greater acceptance for change, and an appreciation for the interconnectedness of humanity. The job is ever changing as an awareness of world affairs and potential risks of travel require constant vigilance and the ability to pivot quickly,” Alm said.

In practice, this can mean anything from picking up students at the airport, to shopping with them for everything from mattress pads to shampoo. It also involves navigating the tricky world of visas.

Shara Karmacharya is a young woman with big dreams, but she had a difficult time getting here. Her journey began with her determination to pursue a path to becoming a social worker.

When she realized the best way to do so would entail traveling almost 8,000 miles away from her home in Nepal to the campus of Springfield College, the troubles began.

“I was in Nepal communicating with the International Center through emails. They were into me, and they wanted me to join Springfield College, and I also wanted to come… I didn't know if I could get a visa, but even when I didn't get the visa the first time and asked Deb…[she] said they will waive it until the spring.… I have good bonding with Springfield College because they would keep telling me, ‘Keep in touch. If you don’t get [the] visa, we will figure it out,’” Karmacharya explained.

One complicating factor for the International Center, of course, has been Covid during the last few years. But even with all of the uncertainty surrounding the journey itself during the pandemic the International Center never gave up hope for these students.

Another feature of the International Center is the effort to constantly honor the unique cultures and journeys of all international students.

“They do celebrate all the different festivals that international students have here,” said Chandani Rana, the first student from Nepal to arrive on campus in 2019.

Every international student has their own story as to how they got here and the journey they are striving for. With the largest international group of Nepali students ever on campus this year (13 undergraduate and three graduate students), it is more important than ever to get help with things from the International Center.

More than 150 international students from over 30 countries attend Springfield College at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Our campus allows international students to experience the close-knit community and spirit, mind and body philosophy. The small classes and personal approach to teaching give students the opportunity to develop warm and meaningful connections with professors and classmates.

Welcoming international students has been part of the Springfield College mission from the start. When it began in 1885, Springfield College was the International YMCA Training School. We hosted students from other countries long before there were even airplanes! From Canada to longer treks like China, students have always been interested in Springfield College and wanted to be a part of something bigger.