Through a collaboration between NOLAbeings the Tulane Office of International Students and Scholars and the Newcomb Tulane College Center for Global Education, we have captured stories of students, faculty and staff experiencing global citizenship through their education at Tulane. Click on the photos below to learn more!
"The beauty of immigrant history is that you have your foot in two different countries."
"When I got to Tulane, I felt so safe... It's like coming back to your home and family because of my relationships with the law school"
“How can you take the best of both worlds and incorporate them into your life to create a world that you'd like?”
“When I came to the U.S., I realized that some concepts that I thought to be constant, I realized that they're actually variables."
"I grew up moving abroad, basically my whole life. I was born in the States, but when I was six weeks old, we moved to Cameroon. From there, Armenia, Switzerland, London, and Japan."
"It is interesting to see how our backgrounds shape us."
"Step out of your comfort zone, to do things that you're not really good at, not used to doing."
"You know, actually interacting with people from diverse backgrounds is a positive thing. I think international exchange changes the way you think."
"And I think in today's world where the cliche's becoming flatter every day, if you're not preparing students to deal with people from different cultures, you're not preparing them to be successful in the real world."
"So I have this perspective of how precious life is and how people sometimes take healthcare for granted. That's why I have a really strong passion for health -because I come from somewhere where it's very unavailable."
"It was inspiring, too, because I came back and had a fresh new look on what it meant to be an activist and what it meant to be a humanitarian."
"But what I like about Tulane is that when I go into the Global Cafe they also have the US students who study abroad and international students interacting together."
"I have classmates from everywhere. In my public health class, I have friends from Louisiana sitting on my right side, I have friends from Germany sitting on my left side. So you are communicating with everyone from every corner in the world every single day."
“I've spent most of my adult working career abroad. I think there's a huge difference in international exchange and tourist traveling."
"I'm currently looking into how I can expand that into cultural rights related to land rights of this community in Brazil, called Ka'apor."
"So I do think it's important for travelers to educate themselves about cultural norms before they go into a different community, and then practice those norms and be respectful of them."
I've never studied abroad but one of my greatest joys in life is befriending international students and serving them however I can.
You go abroad thinking you are gonna learn a lot about other cultures, but you don't realize the culture you end up learning the most about is your own. Only by comparing and experiencing new things, we can understand and value our own culture (and figure out what your love about it and what you don't)
Studying abroad was the single most transformative experience of my undergraduate education and I have witnessed similar transformation in other students leading gap-year programs abroad. Breaking outside our community and culture should be a cornerstone of education.
Spending a semester in Chile and a summer in Colombia completely expanded my world to embrace new culture, develop new friendships, and try new things. This has changed my approach to how I view life and experiences in my daily life.
Meeting other internation students from around the world on campus has allowed me to wander the world without leaving my back yard. Their cultures, languages, foods, and most of all friendships has changed me for the better!
I came to Tulane in the year 2015 for my Master of Laws program and, I started my Doctorate program in comparative law a year later. I must say that--Tulane is the place where my dream is best fulfilled as a legal academic and a dedicated researcher, as I seek to be part of the vanguards of intellectuals in the legal profession. It's true that a lawyer may not know all the laws, but Tulane law school has taught me where to find the laws. Beyond rudiments, I have found substance for my career, met good friends and prepared by renowned teachers.
Before coming to the U.S. I had little knowledge about the country and specifically New Orleans. There are many reasons for calling it home now. This city is less urbanized like many other cities in the U.S. People are friendly (they say hi even if they don't know you!) they ask about your day and so on. This list goes on and on.
I am from Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Being abroad is a very special experience. Meeting people from different countries is always exciting. I simply don’t want to leave this place! Groetjes uit Amsterdam!
When I was young, about twelve years old, I watched The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. It's a really fantastic film. After I came to Tulane, I got to know that film was show in New Olreans. How excited it is!
I came here right after I graduated from university. I am pursuing my Master of Finance now. I love what I am learning here and I love the business school. Though some of my classmates are different from me, I really want to make friends with different backgrounds.
Mme. Alford first introduced me to international experiences in French class in high school. My family had never traveled abroad but Madame encouraged me to study French and develop my skills.
The city of New Orleans and the Tulane campus are full of life! This is the perfect place to find a work-life balance - a great university to study, do research, and find support from a fantastic faculty, as well as a great city to enjoy the culture, music, and history!
I am from Bangladesh. I came to New Olreans in 2016. Moving to another university for higher education without any hostel life experience was tough initially. I took it as a challenge and tried to gather new experiences. After coming here I met with many people fro different backgrounds. I also experienced different cultural events which broadened my outloook. A girl who was living with parents turned into a strong independant lady. My friends and Tulane community helped me a lot thoughout this journey. I am going to graduate with a M.Sc. having lots of memories and inspiring experiences.
When I was 12 I accompanied family friends to Mexico for the summer to take care of their children while they worked. It was my first experience outside of the country without my parents. It was my first time operating my life in Spanish. It was my first experience dancing socially beyond my ballet classes. It changed my life. That experience put me on the career path I am now on, little did I know it taught me how to express myself and be present - in a new way. In another language. I went from shy to expressive and animated when I embodied a new culture and new language. It taught me that various sides of myself are expressed differently across cultures.
