This year, NDB is continuing the tradition of welcoming international students from various countries in Europe and Asia through a program called ISP Foundation, which helps students from international schools prepare the students for life in an American school environment.

The program works with 50 schools across the world where they focus on helping students achieve their full potential. The ISP Foundation chooses the school while the students get ready to come to a new and exciting environment.

“The ISP Foundations course which goes over a lot of community, as well as cultural points of view and topics, they also go over the expectations of the American classroom,” said Raena Mullan, Advisor of International Students. “We definitely encourage that and then help them along to make sure that they’re better prepared.”
Lynne Pan, an NDB junior from China, has been at the school since freshman year. She explained that she felt comfortable in her environment since NDB was an open environment.
“I’ve been here for three years now, which is a lot,” said Pan, “Notre Dame was a pretty welcoming community.” She continued, “I don’t really feel the pressure of being like a foreigner.”
Yutong (Susie) Liu, an NDB sophomore from China who participates in this program, said, “I think my first impression of Notre Dame is [that it is] so active and outgoing because I think our students here [are] so, so relaxed.”
“The tennis team… they’re so friendly and helpful for me to improve my skills,” added Liu about how kind and open the NDB tennis team was to her.
These NDB international students explained how the NDB community has been welcoming and kind to them.
Liu explained how there were a few differences in the way American schools taught versus Chinese schools taught their students.
“Chinese education is so strict, and also mainly focused on the study and no activities. But the benefit is [that] our math and physics [are] good. But now, America is mainly focused on comprehensive development, to develop our leadership and also learning and also sports things, so I think it’s more relaxed,” Liu said as she explained the teaching differences between the Chinese education and American education system.
“Everyone was so nice to me, and there was a fantastic atmosphere,” said NDB senior Rebecca Saponara from Italy, who participates in this program. “I’m generally comfortable here.”
NDB thrives to have an environment where everyone feels welcome and it’s great to hear the International students having a wonderful experience here.