Making the Dome Home
The Notre Dame community is enriched by the presence and engagement of the international student community. Our hope is that each international scholar leaves campus with a wealth of connections; an appreciation for Notre Dame’s values of scholarship, service, and solidarity; and the pride that they have educated their fellow students about their home countries and cultures.
Read the stories below that provide the international student perspective and how they make our collective home at the University a richer place.
Marching in the Band of the Fighting Irish
Beatriz de Campos Silva is a sophomore from São Paulo, Brazil, majoring in physics in medicine with a minor in the Glynn Family Honors Program. She plays the piccolo in the Band of the Fighting Irish. She is also part of the Building Bridges Mentoring Program, STEMentorship program, ISAB’s Mentorship program, Black Student Association, and the Women in Physics club. She writes about her experience in the band as an international student, and how she enjoys being a part of something bigger than herself.
"That was when I realized how the concept of 'ND family' was extended and maybe even intensified among the band members. The support and warm reception I received from most of the people I had just met in the band added to my parents’ encouragement and definitely helped me succeed and receive the positive result I dreamed of."
International Ambassadors Welcome Students to Campus
"International ambassadors reached out to me the summer before I came in.... They were the first group of people who welcomed me and guided me through college.”
The International Ambassadors are a select group of undergraduate leaders who connect with international students before they arrive on campus and facilitate their transition to the University.
International Student Orientation 2022
A Semester, Interrupted
As the pandemic first exploded in the United States in early spring 2020, international students had to make a tough call: Should they find a way to stay on campus or return to their home countries to wait for the situation to resolve itself? The hurdles were significant for these students, as they faced travel restrictions, limited flight options, and closed U.S. embassies. Notre Dame International worked with partners on campus and abroad to create innovative programs that keep students engaged with the Notre Dame community.
Three international students share their personal stories and offer a glimpse into the reality of being an international student during a global pandemic.
- 910 International graduate students expected on campus for fall 2020 (251 were unable to come due to entry restrictions and visa issues)
- 138 Incoming international undergraduates unable to come to campus for fall 2020 (71 of those students continued their studies virtually)
- 266 International students stayed in the ND area during winter break 2020
- 150 Incoming international students arrived on campus for spring 2021
Global Engagement Programs
Notre Dame International offers a variety of short-term summer programs for international high school and university students that provide hands-on and intensive academic, cultural, and leadership experiences at Notre Dame. Students in these programs, which include International Leadership, Enrichment and Development (iLED), International Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (iSURE), and the International Summer Session (ISS), work directly with Notre Dame faculty in the classrooms and the laboratories, and go on academic and cultural excursions outside of the classrooms. Summer programs vary in length from two to eight weeks and take place during the summer months of May through August, which offer the best opportunity to experience life on the beautiful campus of Notre Dame.
Three Programs Later: Wenhao Yu’s Notre Dame Journey
When Wenhao Yu first came to the United States as an international undergraduate student, he had no idea that a study abroad semester would propel him into a new life and promising future career. Now, almost three Notre Dame programs later, Yu is finishing up his doctorate program in computer science and engineering.
“I felt Notre Dame was the best plan for me,” Yu said. “The topics and professors match my interests more than other universities.”
