One hundred twenty new international students began attending St. Thomas this fall semester, the largest group in school history, according to the Office of International Students and Scholars.
The international student class size is an increase from the 71 admitted last academic year, and three times as many as the number the school enrolled a decade ago according to an email sent to faculty by university president Rob Vischer in August. The class of 2029 will also represent 60 countries, according to the same email.
“I am thrilled and really excited that we have the largest class overall and the largest class of international students here,” said Lori Friedman, director of the Office of International Students and Scholars. “I’ve seen them making connections, I’ve seen them with on-campus jobs, I’ve seen them all around campus in the last two weeks, and I am just so excited that they are a part of this community and that they’re now making this their new home.”
Friedman attributes some of the boost in numbers from a partnership between St. Thomas and the United World Colleges Foundation, allowing the university to bring in students from 18 boarding schools around the world. 16 students from the class of 2029 attended a UWC school.
“I’ve also had the opportunity to visit several UWC campuses in the last year and actually meet with students who were either in the admission process or recently admitted or recently confirmed,” Friedman said. “It was really exciting to see them in their own space and now see them here.”
Also included in the class are 19 students from Vietnam, the largest contingent from that country in school history. Friedman credits this to having employed a new in-country representative, Hien Pham, for the past year and a half. Pham is one of two admissions staff members working overseas, along with Anju Chopra in India.
Happy Phan, a junior from Vietnam who serves as an RA in Schoenecker Hall North and as the communication coordinator for the Asian Students In America club, said that she has greatly appreciated this influx of students.
“I feel more at home seeing more people from my country coming here,” Phan said.
Phan is the second person in her family to attend St. Thomas after her sister, who graduated in 2024. She said she chose St. Thomas in part because of the welcoming community, something she hopes to foster as an RA and as an international ambassador for the school.
“I noticed there’s a lot of international students on my floor. Not only my residents, but other RAs’ residents, and I’m super excited because I got to talk to them during the first week … and I got to create some meaningful connection,” Phan said. “A lot of them told me it’s really helpful to get my help and they feel welcomed, which makes me feel really glad that I could help (people) who were in the same situation (as me) two years ago.”
However, there is a notable discrepancy in the numbers: 140 international students put down deposits indicating intention to come to St. Thomas, meaning 20 students did not end up coming to campus. Friedman said there are always some students who have trouble getting a visa to learn in the United States, but that things have been complicated by a travel ban announced in June by U.S. President Donald Trump.
The ban currently bars entry for nationals from Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen.
“For students that did not yet have a visa, they were immediately unable to enter the U.S.,” Friedman said.
Despite this, Friedman said she is excited for the new year and advised students to keep an open mind.
“Get to know each other. Build connections,” Friedman said. “You never know how that might be useful or rewarding mutually to each other.”
Miles Schiffer can be reached at schi9629@stthomas.edu.
