“I was very nervous when I was coming here—halfway through the flight, I was like, ‘Oh, my God, I’m really going,’” said Bhosale, an international student from India who is now a sophomore in the Gabelli School of Business.

But since he’s arrived on campus, Bhosale has found his community; he’s been thriving as a student leader and business student.

A Global Entrepreneur

Studying at Fordham has allowed Bhosale to combine two interests—entrepreneurship as part of his business administration major and global business as a minor.

Bhosale is a student at the Rose Hill campus, but he’s excited to take classes for his minor at Lincoln Center, where the Gabelli School focuses on global business.

“We always have that comforting place other than home, so Rose Hill will be my home,” he said. “But I have a lot of friends at Lincoln Center … and [it’s] a prime location,” he said, noting that the Manhattan campus inspires the creative side of him.

Bhosale said that it was the curriculum that drew him to the Gabelli School, particularly its Ground Floor course for first-year students. The course gives students a background in the major areas of business before asking them to propose a brand-new business idea that meets a current need.

Acting as a consultant, he made a presentation on a company and helped develop an idea for a startup with classmates. “It kind of gave me first-hand experience as to what my future would look like,” he said, and it made him sure he wanted to pursue entrepreneurship.

Community Leader on Campus

Outside of the classroom, Bhosale serves as a leader with the Hindu Students Council, the cultural board of Campus Activities Board, and the International Students’ Association. He’s also a Ramfluencer, making videos and content for Fordham’s social media channels. A favorite is one he made on the Ram Van.

“I cannot stop bragging about it to my friends—I literally go by a shuttle to Manhattan,” he said with a laugh. “So I’ve always loved the Ram Van, and I also made a video on that because I wanted to cover all the points that I did not get to know while I was at home in India.”

He also did a video on Global Transition, a preorientation program specifically for international students.

“I believe that it made me feel at home because when I came here, I was very scattered—I didn’t know what to do,” he said. “But Global Transition, they took us out on an excursion. I went to The Edge. I was in awe when I went to the observatory, and I saw the whole of New York. I was like, ‘Okay, I’m living my dream.’”

Bhosale said that he also made some of his first friends in the program because they all were dealing with similar challenges of being far from home.

Recognized for Success

His efforts to enhance campus community, culture, and academic excellence were recognized last year when he received the DEI Innovative Leadership Award from the Gabelli School of Business.

He said that made him even more excited for his next few years; he plans to get involved at the Fordham Foundry, study abroad with Fordham London, and intern in the city.

“I didn’t expect to become a Global Transition Assistant and see so many other students come in and enjoy their first day for the very first time, like I did,” said Lamba. “I’m emotional, but also happy to have come this far.” 

Adjusting to American Education  

Lamba arrived at Fordham as a shy teenager from India. She attended a Catholic high school, Holy Child Auxilium School in New Delhi, even though she is Hindu. (In her home country, attending a Catholic school is considered prestigious, she said.) 

Last fall, Lamba joined the Fordham community. She wasn’t familiar with the American style of education—a liberal system where she could freely explore and incorporate her own thoughts and ideas, she said. 

But in time, things fell into place. Lamba found a major that felt right—economics—and was elected vice president of the newly founded economics club at Lincoln Center. Lamba, an aspiring entrepreneur, said she hopes to host discussions about global economic events and invite well-known economists to campus as guest speakers. 

Holding Onto Her Heritage Abroad

Lamba also learned how to celebrate her heritage abroad while embracing new cultures. She was elected event planner and board member of Desi Chai, a student club that celebrates South Asian culture with events like the Bollywood Ball, where students dress up as Bollywood characters. (Lamba cosplayed as Kareena Kapoor Khan from the movie “Jab We Met,” wearing a traditional kurta and jeans.) She also helped to plan a mock wedding or “shaadi” at the Rose Hill campus, in collaboration with Fordham University South Asian Entity and the Rose Hill Bengali Student Association. The wedding featured a bride and groom voted on by the students (who are not dating in real life), as well as traditional rituals and performances.

“India is known for its big fat Indian weddings,” Lamba explained. “It’s a fun way to celebrate the culture—and it’s not just India. Bangladesh, Sri Lanka—all the South Asian countries celebrate weddings with a lot of [fanfare].”

Over time, Lamba became closer with other international students on campus, including those from Azerbaijan, Morocco, and Norway. She was also touched by the kindness of the entire campus community, from the faculty, to the security guards, to the public safety officers. By the end of her first semester, she wasn’t as homesick as she thought she would be. 

Lamba largely credits Global Transition with making Fordham feel like her second home. Through tours, presentations, and community-building events, she figured out practical things, like where to buy a SIM card and how to open an American bank account, and more complex things—finding friendship in a new and unfamiliar place. 

“You’re an 18-year-old coming into a new country where you don’t know anything. Global Transition and the people were so nice—and focused on you,” she said. 

Now Lamba is a mentor to six incoming students from Kazakhstan, Philippines, Switzerland, Vietnam, and her native India. She said she hopes that they maintain a positive and open mind. 

“I was a very introverted person. Not very, but closed off, and I was trying to be someone I was not,” said Lamba. “Fordham helped me to be more direct—to be more of me, rather than someone else.” 

The new international students come from dozens of countries around the world, including China, India, Italy, and Vietnam, and represent 8% of the incoming class.* They are studying a variety of disciplines, including business administration, finance, and psychology.

“I cannot wait to learn about new cultures and perspectives from Fordham’s diverse student body,” said Lucas Lopez, a first-year student from Uruguay who plans on studying computer science. “I want to be part of the University traditions such as the tree-lighting ceremony during Christmas, attend a University basketball or football match, explore the city, and most importantly, I’m excited to meet people from all over the world.”

*Numbers as of 8/28/2023

This fall, Fordham welcomed nearly 200 first-year international students to the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses. The students come from more than 50 countries and study a variety of disciplines, including business, STEM, and communications. 

From Aug. 24 to 27, the first-year international students settled into their dorms and explored the city. They began Global Transition with trips to Target and Bed Bath & Beyond, where they stocked up on supplies. They also attended orientation sessions that showed them the ropes around campus. On the final day of the program, they visited some of the most popular places in the city, including the Top of the Rock, Chelsea Market, and Central Park, located just a few blocks away from the Lincoln Center campus. 

In total, there are about 700 international undergraduate students at Fordham, said Salvatore Longarino, director of the Office of International Services. The students come from nearly 90 countries, largely from China, India, Vietnam, and Brazil. This year’s total number of international undergraduates is higher than last year’s headcount, 662, said Longarino. 

High School Sweethearts in Vietnam

First-year student Vanessa Mautone, GABELLI ’26, said she has lived in six different countries. Mautone was born in Geneva, Switzerland, and lived in Malaysia, Italy, France, Vietnam, and the United Kingdom. Her father’s job as general manager for an international company required their family to relocate several times, she said. Mautone had visited the U.S. only once in 2016—on a trip to New York City—and now the place that she explored as a tourist will become her home. 

“I want to go into event organization in the future and heard that the Gabelli School of Business was an amazing school to study business in, especially at the Lincoln Center campus where I’m probably going to have a lot of amazing internship opportunities,” said Mautone. 

Mautone’s partner, Huy Nguyen, who met Mautone when they were high school students in Vietnam, is also attending Fordham as a first-year student. Nguyen was not part of Global Transition because he holds dual citizenship in both the U.S. and Vietnam, but he was born and raised in one of the largest cities in Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh City, where he said he has lived his whole life. 

Nguyen, a theater major, said he was attracted to Fordham College at Lincoln Center because it stands out from every other campus in the city. 

“I’ve always had an interest in performance, especially acting. Being located in the middle of Manhattan, I couldn’t have made a better decision. My ultimate goal is to end up in films, and I believe that the Fordham Theatre Program provides the most hands-on education experience,” he said. 

A ‘Homey Feeling’ From India to the U.S.

Preeti Lamba, FCLC ’26, was born and raised in India. She said she attended a high school that shares the same Jesuit values as Fordham. 

“I used to be in a Catholic school,” said Lamba, who attended Holy Child Auxilium School in New Delhi. “What I like about Catholic education is the discipline, values, and ethics that helped me to transform my life in the best way possible. … I feel like I can continue the same at Fordham. It gives me a lot of homey feeling.”

Lamba said she chose to attend Fordham because of its diversity, student-to-teacher ratio, and potential for networking in the heart of a global city. 

“At Fordham, I seek a vision to build a good network and take part in activities, be a leader, and encourage others to stand for themselves. I want to be part of various clubs like graphic design and culture,” said Lamba, an economics major who hopes to become an entrepreneur or an analyst someday. “I also want to make everyone a part of the Ram family, bring change, and advocate for people.” 

Opening Day is a part of Global Transition, a five-day program structured around helping undergraduate international students adjust, and is for many of its attendees the first step to starting college life in America. Including exchange students, there are 280 incoming international undergraduates this year, with 33 countries represented at Rose Hill and 46 countries represented at Lincoln Center.

Several Fordham student volunteers known as Global Transition assistants were out and about Martyrs Court on the hot summer morning—working the check-in tables, unloading moving boxes from cars, and passing out Fordham t-shirts and backpacks. As each new student entered the building, the volunteers warmly welcomed them in with a whooping cheer.

In the midst of the hectic day at Rose Hill, students from all over the world, including the Philippines, Egypt, and Bangladesh, expressed how excited they were to be at Fordham and in New York City.

Ria Avargerimath, a marketing and business administration major from Melbourne, Australia, was drawn to Fordham’s campus. “I really liked the campus. It gives you a campus feel, but you’re still really close to the main city and I just feel like there’s lots of opportunities nearby.”

Fordham’s campus was also a selling point for Lorena Mandarano, a biological sciences major originally from Rome, Italy, whose family now lives in Switzerland. “I love the community here. When I came here during spring preview, I just fell in love with the campus, with the people. They were so kind with me.”

For Jayanta “Jay” Saha, a computer science major from Dhaka, Bangladesh, Global Transition marked his first time in the Big Apple.

“When you are in a city that’s this lively, your mood just becomes ‘okay, this is the place I want to stay.’ When you think of New York, like this is the place I want to study. And it has ambiance and the mood to it,” said Saha.

Many students pondered being on their own for the first time.

Mandarano said, “I’ve never done laundry before in my entire life! I’m really looking forward to learn how to do that.”

And while the students agreed that their studies were paramount, they also said it was important for them to create memories.

Shilei Zhang, an accounting major from Beijing, China, expressed that “I want to meet more people and more friends. And I’m really excited to meet my roommate.”

Jaymee Francisco, an applied accounting and finance major from the Philippines, is excited for the sports scene at Fordham. “I’m into track and field and everything, so I was wanting to get into that. I might [try out]  next year.”

Youssef Emara, from Cairo, Egypt, who received a scholarship to attend Fordham, said he felt fortunate to have been accepted. “I want to make the most of it, the American college experience. Lots of my friends back home couldn’t travel out of Egypt cause you know, circumstances. So, I’m grateful to be here and I want to make it count.”

For some Global Transition assistants, giving back is a way to keep the legacy going. Kanak Shah, GABELLI ‘21, started out her Fordham journey with Global Transition as a freshman coming from India, and it was such a great “family-like experience” for her that she now volunteers as a Global Transition assistant. While she knows first-hand that moving from another country can be hard, Shah encourages international students to be themselves and not to feel nervous.

“Everyone at Fordham is so friendly and the whole community at Fordham is so welcoming to international students that it makes it all easier.”

The students spent the day immersed in Global Transition, a five-day program that welcomes undergraduate international students to Fordham and the Big Apple. They moved into their new homes, toured the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses, and mingled with other students from around the world. The new students—many of them accompanied by their parents—had flown in from countries as far away as Syria, Sweden, and South Africa. Over the next week, they would explore the city’s attractions, including Coney Island, the High Line, Greenwich Village, and a Mets game. But the first day of Global Transition was their chance to sit, breathe, and take it all in.

In the dining room in the Fordham Law building, four incoming students—James Widodo, Michael Utomo, Quan Tran, and Li Wang—shared a table and traded stories. They talked about their hometowns, the reasons why they chose Fordham, and their love for the city.

“Everyone moves like they have a purpose [here],” said Widodo, an Indonesian native. Life in New York, he added, is far more fast-paced than his hometown of Jakarta, more than 10,000 miles away.

One of the biggest reasons why Widodo chose Fordham is the University’s famous location. The other, he said, was the prestigious reputation of the Gabelli School of Business, where he’ll be studying global finance and business economics. Nearly half of the incoming first-year international students—102, to be exact—are enrolled in the Gabelli School of Business. Other common majors include economics, film and television, integrative neuroscience, and psychology.

The incoming international class comprises 249 students, which includes first-year students and transfer students. They come from 45 different countries of citizenship, with the largest group of students hailing from China. 

First-year international students took in a Mets game during Global Transition…

…and received a warm welcome on the big screen!

In total, Fordham is home to 849 international undergraduate students. Last fall, the total number was 780, said Salvatore Longarino, director of international services.

As some of the newest members of this group, Widodo and his new friends prepared for life in a new city with a mixture of trepidation and enthusiasm.

“The thing that I will miss the most about home is being able to know the whole city,” said Tran, a student from Hanoi, Vietnam. “Here, I’m a stranger. I have to learn.”

The group also chatted about their favorite dishes from home. Widodo and Utomo—high school friends from the Jakarta International School—will miss the taste of martabak, a stuffed pancake sold from street carts in Indonesia. Wang, a student from China, will miss the fresh seafood netted by fishermen along the shores of Shanghai. But these newcomers also say they’re excited to try new things: Shake Shack, pho from Vietnamese restaurants in the city, and parties on the Upper East Side.

And the most shocking thing about New York? “The fact that we’re here,” Tran said.

Video by Taylor Ha and Tom Stoelker

More than 300 students—including new freshmen, transfer students, exchange students, and American citizens who went to high school abroad—participate in the Global Transition program.

“It’s a great way to get to know the campus and other people, and to get help with all sorts of questions, such as immigration and visas,” said student leader Gladys Bendahan, a rising sophomore who participated in the program last year when she arrived from the Canary Islands.

“We are here to tell them that we all go through the same situation, that it’s normal to be nervous or to be homesick,” she said. “And to let them know they’re going to have an amazing experience.”

Of the total Global Transition participants, 207 are new freshmen members of the Class of 2020, making for the largest cohort of international incoming freshmen in Fordham history. As the University welcomes increasingly more students from around the world, the program is critical to helping students make the move to Fordham, said Monica Esser, director of international enrollment initiatives.

“We encourage the new international students to feel confident in their new surroundings, step out of their comfort zones and take advantage of all the opportunities Fordham has to offer,” Esser said. “Global Transition helps to create a supportive set of social connections for students to do all this—and to fully embrace the Fordham experience.”

The initial day of Global Transition was dedicated to moving in and helping the students get to know one another. In the following days, the group attended information sessions on topics such as cultural adjustment, health and wellness in the U.S., and Jesuit mission and identity.

There has also been plenty of time for fun, however—the group has taken trips to various New York City sites and participated in a scavenger hunt around the Lincoln Center campus.

“I don’t know if I’m just feeling this way now, or if the homesickness will hit later, but I feel like we’re already home,” Paula Najas, a new first-year student from Ecuador, said shortly after her team won the campus scavenger hunt.

Her teammate Jaissal Shalgolsen, from India, agreed.

“I always thought New York was a busy city and people had no time for each other. But here there’s been a community already set up and they’re here to welcome us and it feels like home already,” he said. “I was a tourist before, but now I’m settling down here and Global Transition has helped me to settle down really fast.”

An important component of Global Transition, said Esser, is the Global Transition Parent Program, which invites the families of international students to participate in a variety of activities while the students are orienting. Activities include a tour of the Metropolitan Museum of Art with Fordham faculty and a reception with Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham.

“We found the families of new international students—who may only travel the often long distance to Fordham for move in and commencement—eager for interaction with each other and the Fordham community,” Esser said.

“Of course, dropping your child off across the world feels better when you know members of their community and the families of their new friends.”