Over 800 international students discover community as they make Liberty’s campus their home away from home

When freshman Xiluva Helani arrived at Liberty University a couple weeks ago after a 20-hour flight from her home in Johannesburg, South Africa, and a three-hour bus drive from Washington, D.C., she faced many unknowns. But as she stepped foot on campus, she was welcomed by smiling faces, staff from the International Student Center who guided her every step of the way, and a huge community that she immediately felt a part of.

Helani is one of 815 international residential students at Liberty this year representing 89 countries, including Canada, Republic of Korea, China, Nigeria, India, Brazil, Kenya, Ghana, the Bahamas, and many more.

Helani, who is pursuing a bachelor’s in civil engineering, considered a few schools in South Africa and America before deciding on Liberty. She said Liberty stood out for its Christian worldview and the Liberty Way, its code of conduct. A family friend from Virginia spoke highly about the school, and when Helani came for a college visit in November 2024, the campus, community, and atmosphere solidified her choice.

“Back home in South Africa, there’s no Christian universities, and I really wanted to grow spiritually,” she said. “It’s so easy to say someplace is a Christian environment, but the discipline that goes behind Liberty (really supports the environment). The (honor code) doesn’t limit you, but they hold you accountable. When you are walking with Christ, you need to set yourself apart.”

Helani said that as soon as she applied, Liberty sent her all the first steps she needed to become a student, including the process of applying for an F1 visa and all the required financial documents. Before her visa interview, the ISC, an office under LU One, sent her information on how to prepare, including a list of potential questions. She said ISC came alongside her throughout the whole process.

“(ISC) was very helpful because they were consistent, and they checked up on you,” she said.

ISC’s mission is to train Champions for Christ in advancing the Kingdom of God throughout the world by providing academic and cultural support through advising, advocacy, and events to faculty, staff, and domestic and international students.

Helani said Liberty’s Welcome Week was a blast of fun activities that helped her meet other students and adjust to campus life. The ISC hosted its Worldwide Welcome on Monday, Aug. 26, with food and live music that included bands like Libertad (Liberty’s Latin-style worship band), and information tables representing the various clubs and associations on campus. The office also assigns new international students an “ambassador,” a current student who walks alongside new students as they face the unknowns of being in a new country.

Sophomore Kimberly Atieno from Kenya was Helani’s ambassador.

“(Kimberly) is so amazing because when I got here, I was kind of overwhelmed because I had so much to do in such a short space of time,” she said. “But Kimberly told me so much about the community that international students have. Since I’m African, there’s an (Africa Connect Association) club, and she really helped me in terms of being with people (from places like) I come from. She truly made Liberty seem like it’s not just ‘them’ and ‘us;’ it’s one whole community.”

Atieno, a developmental psychology student from Kenya, said her duty as an ambassador is to make sure international students “feel welcome, comfortable and at home when they get to Liberty. The first person you interact with in a new school, or a new country, can really shape your college experience and make the transition bearable and fun. And for international students, their ambassadors are one of the first students they meet when they get here.”

Helani said it’s helpful to have many staff in the ISC who are international students themselves: “They understand your process, they understand your questions, and they know what you’ve been through because they’ve been there too. I really did connect to that, and I felt that they could relate to me.”

One of Helani’s favorite parts of campus has been the award-winning Reber-Thomas Dining Center because of its international cuisines.

“(The dining hall) is somewhere that you could feel like you are at home, because there’s food that you are familiar with. There’s an international section where they have different types of international foods every week, which I really love,” she said.

The opportunities to connect with other international students don’t end at Welcome Week, as the ISC plans events throughout the academic year, including chances for American students to connect with other cultures.

Senior information technology student Ashton Dean, originally from the Bahamas, is the president of Liberty’s Caribbean Student Association club. He said this year is the association’s most diverse group, with many different Caribbean countries represented. The Student Government Association offers multiple clubs that encourage cultural  engagement for international students and the entire student body.

“I like that they give us that space to spread our culture, because it’s a culture shock for most people, so it’s good to allow the students to invite other people into what they’re used to,” he said. “It’s a good community to be a part of.”

Upcoming ISC events this semester are the Gran Fiesta Latina, a night of salsa dancing, music, food, and prizes, on Sept. 19; Taste of Nations Festival, one of the biggest events every year where students can sample foods with imported ingredients from around the world, on Sept. 26 (during Global Focus Week); and Culture in the Kitchen: Germany, where students will do a cooking demonstration of a German dish, on Oct. 14.