Katrin Gross, from Saarbrueken, Germany, said she wanted to experience American culture before she graduated from University, where she has two semesters remaining.
“I’m majoring in culture,” she said. “We can choose four subjects. I’m taking religious studies, literature, newest history, and anthropology. Because I’m starting culture, I’m interested in America.”
Gross said she appreciated the beauty of the Hillsdale campus. “The nature and the buildings look amazing,” she said.
Erla Sigurjonsdottir said she made the decision to travel from her home in Keflavik, Iceland to Hillsdale so that she could continue swimming as she pursued her college education. She explained that colleges in Iceland do not offer varsity sports. “I’ve been swimming since I was six,” Sigurnjonsdottir said. “I wanted to go to college and keep swimming. I wasn’t ready to quit.” She said she finds that the supportive community of Hillsdale has helped her to adjust. “If there’s something you need, there’s always someone you can go to,” she said. “It’s not even people who work here. It’s older students and teammates. They reach out and say, ‘if you need something just call me.’”