Students discover home a world away

When June Tibaleka was 12 years old, she walked into the crowded waiting room of a neurologists office in Uganda for an appointment. The doctor was one of only three neurosurgeons in all of Uganda, and since the other two were out of the country, the waiting room was especially packed. June found herself sitting next to a woman who was tending to her child suffering from hydrocephalus, a condition in which ventricles of the brain become swollen with water.

"I was so shocked by the multitude of people coming from far away to see this doctor and still waiting to get help," says June. "When I left there, I told my mom that I had to be a neurosurgeon."

Now June is majoring in neuroscience at Hopkins. She, like several other Hopkins students, comes from a country outside the United States. With a student population that seems to find its majority in New Jersey, international students bring a colorful diversity and fresh perspective to the Hopkins campus. While most undergrads come to Hopkins for predictable reasons, international students have different motives in coming to Hopkins.

When he attended the International Community School of Abidjan, Mawuena Quarcoo, a sophomore public health major, participated in a cross sectional study of the AIDS epidemic and soon found his calling in the natural sciences. "I like helping people out. Where I lived before, I saw a lot of things," he says. "After a while, you start to want to solve the problems."

Sophomore Bettina Buck, a native of Hong Kong, applied to Hopkins as her number one choice. "I needed to go; no one forced me to," she explains. "It was my own decision. I always wanted to go to America."

Long ago, the United States was branded as the land of opportunity and the reputation has stuck. Education in America holds an esteemed status that remains the primary reason for most international students to study in United States schools. And each one brings a story about his/her past and his/her life here now.

Mawuena Quarcoo was born in Senegal. At 12 years old, he moved to Cote d'Ivoire. However, during the first semester of 11th grade, a coup d'etat forced Quarcoo and his family to evacuate his home.

"I remember waking up and hearing something that sounded like fireworks. My family was listening to the BBC on a short-wave radio. My brother and I heard that school was cancelled and we were like 'Yes! Coup d'etat!' like it was a snow day."

Now, as a baritone for the campus a cappella group the All Nighters, an active member in both the African Student Association and the Black Student Union and a regular at the McCoy pool table, Quarcoo has immersed himself in the Hopkins community. He is always polite, a constant gentleman and sometimes refers to himself in third person as "the man" in an accent.

Accents are just one indication that though international students may leave their homes behind, their culture and heritage are things that never truly go away.

Being an international student is more than just being from a different country. It's about bringing a past life into a strange new American environment with new people, new slang and new customs, and somehow getting the two to reconcile with each other.

Bettina Buck, who is half German and half Chinese, is fluent in both Cantonese and German and is currently taking language courses in Mandarin Chinese and French. Her accent is a mix of the different languages she grew up speaking. "I don't even know what my accent's supposed to be anymore," she jokes. "Now, when I go home, they can tell I have an American accent."

Despite the changes, heritage is always inherently preserved. "I've just grown up, my culture is still who I am," says June. "The way I think is still Ugandan."

"I love Hopkins, it's my dream school," says June. "When I was young, I thought it would be nice to visit the campus one day and that would be enough for me. For me to actually be here and to study here is such an honor." June plans to go back to Uganda after she becomes a doctor so she can start her own hospital with a wing specifically devoted to neuroscience.

International students may be foreigners when they first arrive in the states, but they soon learn to call America home. On a Friday evening, Mawuena stands in line at the Uni Mini sandwich counter and orders "the usual" to the full understanding of the employee manning the grill. A chicken sandwich with barbeque sauce and American cheese wrapped in white paper greets him ten minutes later at the cash register. Since making the move from Tunisia to Hopkins, Mawuena has acquired a taste for the Mini Mart's sandwich amongst many other American delicacies.

"I like hot dogs and chicken pizza. Sausage pizza too," he explains. "And Twix! That's what's up! That stuff is like heaven."

Making the move from Africa to America has been a relatively smooth transition for Mawuena. But after the fact, adjusting to life at Hopkins isn't such a big deal. "My whole life's been about adjusting," he says. "This is a piece of cake."