As Georgia Southern University becomes more internationally known, the campus continues to welcome more students from around the world.

“In 2012 we had 365 international students and over 97 countries represented at Georgia Southern. The number of international students has been increasing here every year,” Ron Jones, assistant director for international recruitment, said.

At this time, every region of the world is represented at GSU and international students come here for many different reasons.

“These students add diversity and cultural knowledge to the campus that we wouldn’t have at the university otherwise,” Jones said.

International students at GSU are students who are not permanent residents of the United States and who are not United States citizens.

QUOTES FROM STUDENTS:

“I really didn’t know much about Georgia Southern before coming here but I looked it up online and saw how diverse it was and the great programs that it had and decided to come. When I got here I completely fell in love. The campus is beautiful and the International Studies Center staff were extremely helpful in getting me used to campus,” Chrystal Messam, sophomore biology and French major. (Jamaica)

“I applied to other universities in Europe where I went to school but getting the International Diversity Scholarship helped me to choose Georgia Southern. It’s my second year here and I really like it. Even though we are in the Deep South the campus is really diverse and there is a really big international student body,” Juan Fajardo, sophomore economics major. (Honduras)

“In Brazil you choose the country that you want to go to college in and then the government sends you to the specific college that they want you to go to. I think I was chosen to go here because the engineering programs here are great programs. I really like it here,” Tulio Meireles, senior electrical engineering major. (Brazil)

“I decided to come to GSU because I have more educational opportunities than I would have at home. I like it here because the campus has a good environment for learning and there are good people” Daniel Ekere, freshman mechanical engineering major. (Nigeria)

“I went to a program called “Go Campus” where they send your resume out to different colleges across the country. I got chosen by other universities but I chose Georgia Southern because of the mechanical engineering program here. It’s been awesome going here and I am having so much fun,” Cameron Mead, freshman mechanical engineering. (Australia)

“I chose Georgia Southern for many different reasons, the scholarships for international students, the opportunities that I could have here, the southern hospitality in Georgia and the ‘large scale, small feel’ of campus made me feel comfortable, were some of the biggest. When I got here I fell in love with the campus and the atmosphere. I like that I can still feel comfortable here and still feel like I have the world at my fingertips,” Jade Pinder, sophomore journalism major (Bahamas)