35th Annual Student Research Conference
Post-Pandemic Assessment of International Student Wellness & Creation of Support Spaces: Nepali Students Case Study at a Rural-Midwestern Liberal Arts University
Joshna Karki
Dr. Heidi Cook, Faculty Mentor
Soon after the declaration of COVID-19 as a global pandemic in March 2020, US university classes were converted to a virtual format. 1,251,569 international students enrolled in the 2020 academic year were asked to leave campus or were stranded abroad due to travel bans and visa statuses. Scholars argue that the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic and a concurrent rise in exclusionary policies and xenophobia and racial othering have had serious implications on the mental health of international students. This research examines the effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the wellness of international students in the US by interviewing Nepali students at a rural-midwestern liberal-arts university. Using case study analysis, I will assess the social, cultural, and personal wellness challenges that Nepali students have experienced since the pandemic to design virtual support spaces. My hypothesis argues such spaces help to address the wellness challenges of international students.
Keywords: COVID-19 pandemic, international student, social and cultural wellness, personal wellness, acculturation, virtual support spaces
Topic(s):Interdisciplinary Studies Capstone
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
Session: 102-1
Location: SUB GEO A
Time: 8:30