From Kazakhstan to MoHome: Finding my place at Mount Holyoke

It has been seven months since I first read the long-awaited words from Mount Holyoke College: “The answer is yes!” And now, after traveling 6,200 miles from Kazakhstan, I step into the reality I had worked tirelessly to achieve. I remember that moment as if it were yesterday: my mom and I were jumping around like kids while our laughter mixed with tears of happiness. For the first time in my life, I cried so hard from pure joy.

But as the initial euphoria settled and the months passed toward departure, that happiness began mixing with something else entirely. Terror. I would be traveling alone halfway around the world, leaving everything familiar to start fresh in a place I had only seen online. I worried about making friends, about speaking English, about not being understood, and about the cultural gap seeming too vast. Would I find my place in this new community?

When I participated in the MHC's International Student Pre-Orientation online, I initially expected just a list of tips and rules. Instead, these programs gave me the first real sense that I was cared for here, and that any office door would be open if I needed help. The sessions connected us with current students, where I got answers to all my questions about campus and dormitory life. Learning from Jenny Medina and Jen Tuleja about visas, immigration processes, adjusting to life in Massachusetts and the reality of moving across the world was incredibly helpful. The sessions also encouraged us to connect with other international students through Zoom chats, where we shared our locations and discovered common interests with future classmates. Beyond these formal sessions, the Instagram account for the Class of 2029 became another important meeting place where we could find future classmates through discussion posts and share personal introductions to help others reach out. Through these conversations with other students, I realized I wasn’t alone, and knowing that many of us shared similar concerns made me feel less self-conscious and much more excited about meeting everyone in person.

I also participated in the Fearless First Academy online, which included a Mock First-Year Seminar. Getting to experience what a real MHC class would feel like before even stepping on campus was a wonderful opportunity to strengthen my academic readiness. The Pairing Project further deepened this sense of assurance. I was matched with an alum from the class of 2000, who had walked these same paths, shared stories about her first weeks on campus and told me how overwhelmed she once felt when assigned her very first 26-page paper. Instead of giving up, she went to the Speaking, Arguing & Writing (SAW) Center, where a peer mentor helped her develop the skills she hadn’t learned in high school. “When you feel stuck, don’t struggle alone — ask for help right away,” she told me. Through our conversations Mount Holyoke stopped feeling like an abstract institution, and started to feel like a place where I, too, could find help, grow and take pride in the background I bring.

Once I landed in the U.S., I was struck by how much MHC truly cares about each individual student. Not only were we welcomed at the airport, but we were also taken to a local mall so everyone could buy essentials, given generous access to campus resources and offered many helpful sessions that introduced us to the campus and gave us the chance to make friends before classes began. We even had the opportunity to speak with professors from all departments, which helped us choose the courses best suited to our interests and goals. The attention to detail was incredible.

Now, as I walk across the campus I had once only seen on a screen, the fear that once consumed me has dissolved into eager anticipation for all that awaits me next. Yes, I am still adjusting to speaking English all the time, but being surrounded by students from 44 countries makes me feel included and part of this wonderfully diverse community. Mount Holyoke isn’t just accepting us international students — it is creating space for us to thrive. It already feels like MoHome, and I am proud to call myself a Lyon!