TCK and International Student Profiles

Ashley
Senior
Russia

Why Houghton?

I was looking for a small school. I didn't want to get lost in the crowd. I liked Houghton when I visited because people actually took the time to talk to me, and professors really seemed to care about my life as well as my education (they really do, too!). Also, Houghton was the only school that had a program for TCKs and internationals and I felt like they understood my position in coming from overseas.

How was your transition to Houghton?

The transition to college was probably the easiest transition I've made in my life - and I've moved a lot!  It challenged me at the same time, however.  If it wasn't for the transition program and all the TCKs that I met through that, it probably would have been a different story.  Houghton is a great place to grow as a person and there is a ton of support for those who have spent most of their life on the move and overseas.

Pensiri
First-year
Thailand

How was your transition to Houghton?

The transition wasn’t hard at all. Transition weekend helped me to meet other MKs and TCKs, and the shopping trip really helped because my parents didn’t come with me to drop me off at college. I had to form my own community and just jump into Houghton, and they accepted me with wide open arms.

What has helped you most in your transition to Houghton?

I visited Houghton in the spring for an Honors program interview weekend. I stayed for nearly a week, got to know the people I stayed with, and I got to know the layout of the dorm and college pretty well.  Not feeling lost was really nice when I came back in the fall. Plus, coming and already knowing some of the people made the transition much easier. I also got involved right away in Shakespeare Players and a couple of other things. Getting involved introduced me to so many people whom I might not have met.

Eric
Sophomore
Guatemala

What has helped you most in your transition to Houghton?

The most helpful thing for me was making strong friends, many of whom are TCKs that I met in the first transition week.

What is a highlight of your Houghton experience?

A highlight from my houghton experience has definitely been the strong sense of community that is present in everything from the dorm life to participation in Symphonic Winds.  It seems to me that no matter your interests, Houghton has a diverse enough community that you can find at least one place to "plug in."

Audrey
First-year
Uganda

Why Houghton?

I chose Houghton because I was looking for a Christian College that resembled the Christian High School I had just been to. I was looking for a community where God was real not just through words, but also through actions to the community around them.  I chose Houghton because it was also the size I wanted - I didn't want to get lost in a crowd.

What is a highlight of your Houghton experience?

The highlight has to be gospel choir!  I love doing that because it's not only a group of people singing, it has become a family of brothers and sisters praising God.

Katrina
First-year
Kenya

Why Houghton?

It's small (very community-oriented), Christian, has great faculty, off-campus programs, wonderful honour's programme (that was a big one), and I've had lots of friends who've gone here.

What is your favorite Houghton class so far?

I have loved ALL my classes, but I think it would have to be Cultural Anthropology. Dr. Arensen is an amazing prof and he teaches a lot about Africa. It has basically solidified and given voice to a lot of what I've already learned passively.