by Maxwell Finkelstein ’22

“I tried my best to emulate the warmth I felt when I was welcomed as a freshman,” says Maxwell Finkelstein ’22.

hroughout my three years as a Swattie, and especially in light of the global pandemic, no community has impacted my journey more than i20, Swarthmore’s international student club.

I grew up in Singapore, and my first experience at Swarthmore was at International Student Orientation, way back in 2018. Entering that warm, welcoming, understanding environment created by other international Swatties set the perfect first impression of Swarthmore. It made me feel like I belonged, that this was somewhere I wanted to be for the next four years. I made fast friends and stayed involved with the i20 community throughout freshman year.

The following summer, I volunteered to be an orientation leader and was privileged to welcome the next incoming class of international Swatties. At the end of sophomore year, I was elected co-president of i20, just a few months after the COVID-19 lockdown began in the U.S.

International students faced unique challenges throughout the pandemic. Many of us were unable to travel to campus and instead studied remotely from our home countries, often at the expense of our sleep schedule. Others, like me, have remained on campus, unable to return home and see family.

It’s rare that I actively miss my family during the semester — I call them at least once a week, and I have a great group of friends who make Swarthmore a home. But during the pandemic, especially after the first year, it became different. Missing my family was a silent feeling of incompleteness, not so loud that it impeded my daily activities, but it was always there, a weight at the back of my mind. If my little sister had a rough day at school, I missed home more — I wanted to be there to support her, along with my parents.

There was no way for i20 to fix that sense of isolation, but we tried to alleviate it as much as possible. I worked with a dedicated team of orientation leaders to organize a remote International Orientation program for the Class of 2024, and tried my best to emulate the warmth I felt when I was welcomed as a freshman. We held online events to bring together the i20 community worldwide, and we welcomed the i20 freshmen who were able to come to campus with ice pops, tours, and weekly dinners.

While our i20 community has certainly suffered greatly due to COVID-19, it has also grown closer. Even though I remain eager to return to Singapore when I can, i20 has provided a second home for me, and for many other Swatties.

“I tried my best to emulate the warmth I felt when I was welcomed as a freshman,” says Maxwell Finkelstein ’22.

The following summer, I volunteered to be an orientation leader and was privileged to welcome the next incoming class of international Swatties. At the end of sophomore year, I was elected co-president of i20, just a few months after the COVID-19 lockdown began in the U.S.

International students faced unique challenges throughout the pandemic. Many of us were unable to travel to campus and instead studied remotely from our home countries, often at the expense of our sleep schedule. Others, like me, have remained on campus, unable to return home and see family.

It’s rare that I actively miss my family during the semester — I call them at least once a week, and I have a great group of friends who make Swarthmore a home. But during the pandemic, especially after the first year, it became different. Missing my family was a silent feeling of incompleteness, not so loud that it impeded my daily activities, but it was always there, a weight at the back of my mind. If my little sister had a rough day at school, I missed home more — I wanted to be there to support her, along with my parents.

There was no way for i20 to fix that sense of isolation, but we tried to alleviate it as much as possible. I worked with a dedicated team of orientation leaders to organize a remote International Orientation program for the Class of 2024, and tried my best to emulate the warmth I felt when I was welcomed as a freshman. We held online events to bring together the i20 community worldwide, and we welcomed the i20 freshmen who were able to come to campus with ice pops, tours, and weekly dinners.

While our i20 community has certainly suffered greatly due to COVID-19, it has also grown closer. Even though I remain eager to return to Singapore when I can, i20 has provided a second home for me, and for many other Swatties.