In August 2023, at Concordia University Wisconsin, approximately 400 new international students came to campus for orientation. By the fall semester, there were 900+ attending CUW.
Over 300 international students participated in this year’s commencement ceremony resulting in the largest number to walk across the stage in CUW’s history.
Was this an anomaly because of the 2023 intake or can the international team and the Concordia International Center (CIC) expect to see similar numbers going forward? How did the campus handle the influx?
The catalyst
Assistant Vice President of International Affairs, Michelle Reina, PhD, has been at CUW since early 2024. She comes from a higher education background. Reina says that the soaring number of students in 2023 was likely due to several factors.
The first was a backlog of student applications that hadn’t been processed, along with a pent up demand from travel restrictions during COVID-19. The second factor was due to the Director of International Recruitment and Admission, Jennifer Tadeo (and her team), coming together to process a huge number of applications in a short period of time.
Tadeo says that her team was able to keep up with the volume of post-COVID applicants because of the additional team members added to the international admissions team, extra volunteers at orientation, and new systems put in place. In her words, it was the “result of partnership building and collaboration.”
Reina explains that students, even though they apply to several universities, often go with the school that accepts them first. Therefore, efficiency and timeliness are key. Ultimately, CUW met that demand, and was able to offer a safe, faith-filled, and conveniently located environment for these students to attend.
International students embrace CUW
Kwame Barnie, a ’25 grad, started his academic program at CUW in October 2023 as part of the post-pandemic group. He proudly walked across the stage this May with his MBA in Management Information Systems. Barnie is actively looking for employment in order to take advantage of his Optional Practical Training (OPT) opportunity to work in the U.S. for one year following graduation. He came to the United States from Ghana, West Africa, and is currently residing in Chicago with his family.
In the beginning, Barnie endured feelings of being homesick, as well as, had trouble acclimating to the weather. He found solace in the international staff throughout his program and says, “They have been like my backbone. They helped me out and encouraged me … they were there as friends and as a second family for me.” As a Christian, he was comfortable engaging with God’s word and would receive a “morale boost for his spirit” from the daily biblical quotes provided by professors.
Surekha Pamidimukkala—who was also part of the 2023 orientation—graduated this year with a Master of Science in Computer Science Information Systems. She explains that day as “emotionally overwhelming.”
“Here I was, a mother of two who’d been teaching for years, suddenly back in a student role. I remember video-calling my daughters that first day—they were so excited to see their mom on a university campus!” she says. Fortunately, the orientation helped ease her concerns about being an older student. “Meeting other international students made me realize I wasn’t alone.”
The experience can be transformative
She chose CUW initially because of the beautiful campus, but over time the experience became transformative. Pamidimukkala is originally from India where she has taught for over 10 years. In order to come to the U.S., she had to leave her daughters behind. “Every achievement felt bittersweet because they weren’t there to witness it,” she says. Grateful for technology, daily video calls from the dorms became her regimen. The staff was incredibly understanding about her unique challenges associated with being a parent and a student, and the CIC became her “extended family.”
Like Barnie, however, she struggled with adjusting to the climate, and she felt tested daily in multiple areas. The weight of the physical separation from her family, the new academic pressure, and, of course, the cultural adjustment. Then, toss in a Wisconsin winter. “It took me so much time to adjust to the unpredictable weather,” she notes.
Helping her to build confidence in a new place, Pamidimukkala became an International Peer Advisor. She developed valuable relationships with other international students and was able to share that experience with her daughters.
Pamidimukkala says, “Graduating was the proudest moment of my life, not just for me, but for my family. My daughters watched their mother leave everything familiar, struggle through challenges, and emerge with a master’s degree in a completely new field.”
“My goal now is to establish myself in educational technology, creating a stable, better life for them while showing them that dreams don’t have expiration dates … I want them to know that every sacrifice, every late-night studying, every moment of homesickness was worth it—for them.”
CUW’s Commencement 2025: By the numbers
Concordia will have another large population of international students graduating in December 2025—some students will be from the fall 2023 enrollment. However, the chances of duplicating these numbers again in the future are extremely rare—it was the perfect storm.
The blessing of cross-cultural experiences
Seeing so many foreign faces on campus for the last several years has been new for everyone. Vastly enjoying what he does, Chris Gallagher, director of International Student and Scholar Services says this is “a vocation in the literal sense … a calling to work with young people at a Christian university.” The team is passionate about what they do because most of them have lived or traveled abroad themselves. “We do this because we did this,” he declares.
He has lived overseas in France, and has also worked in New York City for many years, whereas Reina studied abroad as an undergraduate, lived in Mexico and Colombia, and has been to almost 60 countries. “I realized what an educational experience it is, and I want other students to have that as well,” she says. “I grew up Lutheran and came to Concordia because I believe in the mission … I felt called to do this work.”
It’s an ongoing blessing for staff and faculty as they welcome the cross-cultural experiences that go hand in hand with having international students here on campus. For the students, the blessing of being at CUW can come in many forms, and commencement is the ultimate way of celebrating and acknowledging all the trials and tribulations students face along their journey.
CUW is devoted to building a community where all are loved and accepted. Each student is encouraged to develop and discover their own unique potential to lead an uncommon life—one that follows God’s purpose for them.
Did you know?
According to the Higher ED Immigration Portal—First- and second-generation immigrant and international students make up one out of every three students enrolled in higher education in the U.S. International students account for about 27% of students at the graduate level and more than 5% of all students in higher education.
Want to be a host family?
Student Wellness: Intake and Triage Coordinator, Rebecca Hasbani, is looking for students and host families to share experiences with international students such as meeting for a meal, having a home gathering, or going out some where fun and local. Click the link for the Host Family Summer Activity 2025 Guide.
Want in?
Concordia University Wisconsin is a Lutheran higher education community committed to helping students develop in mind, body, and spirit for service to Christ in the Church and the world. To explore CUW’s international programs, visit International Admissions. To learn more about STEM programs for undergraduates: Biochemistry, Biology, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Computer Science, Data Science and Mathematics, Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, Horticulture, Industrial Engineering, Mathematics, and Pharmaceutical Sciences. Graduate programs to explore are Business Administration or MBA (many options), Business Analytics, and Computer Science.