Dante Iafrate
@Danteiafrate
Sam MacGilipin
@Samuel_MacGilpin
Springfield College is known for its ability to welcome first-year students. A prime example is its opening NSO weekend, as well as numerous on campus events to get students involved and comfortable with Springfield College. The school attracts many students from outside New England – and even outside the United States. The Springfield Student spoke with several international students, and asked them: What brought you to Alden Street?
A common response was the education system and opportunities not only the U.S offers but Springfield College as well.
“The community is very polite, and I am falling in love with the culture,” said Natalia Vargas, a first-year student from Bolivia. She also stated that she loves the idea of spirit, mind and body.
Henrique Furlan is from Brazil and is a member of the soccer team at Springfield College. “I didn’t really know what to expect,” Furlan said of moving to Springfield. “I have never lived in the U.S. before. I was drawn to this school because of how they treated my family when I had first visited last summer.”
While Furlan says that the food is very different in the U.S., he believes the rice at Cheney is very good.
Many international students, like Furlan, come to Springfield for sports – but find other benefits once they get here.
Adam Crocker, who hails from Canada, came here, “for the opportunity to play baseball as well as the great business management program.” Charlie Heth came to Springfield from Singapore because he got recruited to play soccer, but he’s “just happy to be here.” Australia native Jeremy Brown simply said he wanted to, “further studies in America, and Springfield was the place”. When asked what he likes so far he responded, “how engaging” the teachers are.
But not everything about America is positive. According to Brown, the biggest surprise about Springfield and America, is that “The roads are very much not well-kept. Advice to all fellow Australians: Don’t drive here.” Even though Canada is a border country to the U.S., Crocker had to jump through some administrative hoops, “I had to change all my bank account information as well as insurance,” he said. “And it was a long journey, but now I’m good.”
The sense of community on campus was a common theme among all the students interviewed.
Heth said, “It [America] is nothing like the movies. I thought everyone would be a jock, but most people are super chill.”
Charlie Heth (Above) provided solid minutes and exceptional passing in Springfield Soccer’s 2-0 win over #19 ranked Emerson on Saturday.
Photo courtesy of Springfield College