AU's Global Nomads

Photo by Patrick Bradley

Amory Brandon is not an international student, but he’s not your typical American student either.

“One of things that drew me to AU was that I had heard it had this big international population. I definitely knew I wanted to come back to the States for college,” he explains. “I realized that I would feel more awkward going to a school that was predominantly kids who’d grown up in that area. I’d just feel out of place.”

Brandon left the U.S. at the age of eleven to grow up in Argentina and China. As a result, the School of International Service sophomore counts himself as part of an expanding student group at AU – global nomads.

Jawee Perla, senior international student advisor for International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS), knows a great deal about this emerging population. Raised by Foreign Service parents between Swaziland, Indonesia, Egypt, and the Philippines, he’s part of this group himself.

“Within the category of global nomad, there are different kinds,” he says. “There’s everyone from kids of Army [personnel] who have spent most of their time on bases overseas to true international students who have a non-US passport but a mixed, third-culture identity.”

Take freshman Carolina Kitras, for example – born to an American mother and Greek father in Panama, where she lived until enrolling at AU this semester. If you asked her about her nationality or cultural identity, it would be tough for her to give an answer.

“I feel like my culture is not one single culture,” she says. “Living here, I identify probably more with the Latin culture. Living in Panama, I feel I’m labeled more as an American than a Panamanian.”

Brandon echoes Kitras, as he shares, “Having grown up for those crucial years in Argentina, in a lot of ways I identify more as an Argentine than an American. By the time I left, I was more comfortable in Argentina than when I visited the U.S. I felt more out of place here than back there.”

According to Perla, this can make the college transition – something already difficult in itself – more of a challenge.

“In addition to all the normal college adjustment stuff, they’re also trying to find a place to be,” he explains. “They’re not immediately captured by the international student community, and they’re not immediately captured by the Americans.”

Also, like many true international students, global nomads still experience culture shock, even though they may carry an American passport.

“In the case of global nomads who are American, one issue they run into is that – in many ways – they’re disguised as an American student,” he explains. “They sound American. They look American. They are American but just don’t have the same cultural background and knowledge. So, adjustment can be tough.”

Cultural confusion ranges from not understanding television or music references to missing social cues like American expressions. For Kitras, it’s more about breaking habits.

“The customs and norms here – just greeting people in general. You go in for a kiss but it’s really a handshake or a hug. [It’s] simple stuff like that,” she says.

With all these potential hurdles in mind, global nomads – about thirty to forty in each new class – increasingly have support from various outlets on campus. Perla and ISSS reach out to encourage participation in international student groups to help them integrate. Along with a couple of friends, Brandon started and now heads the Global Nomads club, which organizes students and provides a support network of people who have dealt or are dealing with the issues of adjusting to life on campus.

While Brandon and Kitras needed time to transition to an American campus, they’re both more than pleased by what they’ve encountered at AU – a group of people who understands them.

“What really surprised me was not the number of international kids but the number of global nomads, kids like myself,” Brandon says. “Just on my floor, there were three other American kids who had lived overseas.”

Kitras also recognizes something comforting about the student body, saying, “I found how much AU really values diversity. I really like that. That’s one of the reasons I applied here.”

As the world continues to become a smaller place with borders blurred by travel and communication, it’s certain that more global nomads will roam the planet, and it’s certain that many will find a home at AU – an institution committed to educating passionate, world-minded students.