Title: We Belong Here: International Graduate Students’ Pathways to Resilience, Community, Wellness, and Belonging at UMD
Presenter(s):
Kwesi Acquah Sam (he/him)
Caswell Enoch Eshun (he/him)
Michael Adu-Brew (he/him)
Anani Kuwornu (he/him)
Abigail Smith (she/her)
Room: Atrium 1107
Session Block(s): Session IV
Time: 2:55 p.m. to 3:55 p.m.
Duration: 60 minutes
Program Abstract:
This session examines how international graduate students at the University of Maryland cultivate resilience, belonging, community, and wellness while navigating academic pressures and shifting U.S. immigration realities. Drawing on emerging research and lived experiences, the presenters highlight the culturally grounded strategies students use to thrive despite structural and sociopolitical challenges. Participants will gain practical insights for building responsive, inclusive support systems that honor the strengths and dignity of international students.
Program Description:
International graduate students contribute richly to the academic, social, and cultural fabric of the University of Maryland. Yet, their experiences are often framed through deficit narratives of struggle, deficiency, or adjustment difficulties. This session reframes those narratives by centering the strengths, agency, and culturally grounded strategies international students employ to thrive in graduate school. Drawing on emerging research, lived experiences, and ongoing campus engagement with international student communities, this panel discussion explores how international graduate students intentionally build resilience, foster belonging, and sustain wellness as they navigate complex academic and sociocultural landscapes.
The panel will highlight how students build powerful support systems, both in and out of class, through peer networks, cultural organizations, spiritual communities, and international student groups. It will showcase the role of community care practices, such as food sharing, mutual aid, and academic collaboration, in reducing isolation and promoting persistence. Attention will also be given to the wellness strategies international graduate students use, including culturally familiar coping practices, faith traditions, nature-based wellness, and campus resources.
Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how institutional structures can unintentionally produce stressors related to immigration, finances, language, and racialization, and how students transform these stressors into sites of resistance and growth. The presentation will offer practical recommendations for student affairs professionals in designing culturally responsive wellness programming, fostering meaningful cross-cultural engagement, and partnering with international students as co-creators of inclusive campus environments.
Ultimately, this session positions international graduate students not as passive recipients of support but as knowledge-holders and community-builders whose resilience and leadership enrich the entire Maryland community.