Global Focus: Staying active.

Global Focus is a student-led project by Patrick Close ’26, Oiram Dueñas Valles ’26, and Ana Sánchez ’27. The project highlights the stories and perspectives of international students at Hartwick College, documenting and sharing their firsthand experiences of life on campus, academically, socially and culturally.

The first thing Moshfeka Mithila ’26 remembers about arriving in New York wasn’t the airport or the drive. But how cold it was.

“I literally felt the cold air on my face,” she said. “I didn’t know anywhere in the world could be this cold!”

For Mithila, who grew up in Dhaka, Bangladesh, where summer temperatures often climb past 100 degrees, upstate New York felt unfamiliar in every way.

Mithila began her college search shortly after COVID-19, when schools and universities in Bangladesh were shut down. With uncertainty everywhere, she felt determined to find the right choice. At first, she looked at schools in Australia or Canada. The U.S wasn’t even on her radar. That changed when an education agency she was working with introduced her to Hartwick College.

What stood out to her was the size of the campus. As an international student preparing for cultural and academic differences, Mithila knew she would need support. “I felt like in a small community, I would get help,” she said.

“Maybe I’m biased, but I think it’s the prettiest campus I’ve ever seen,” she said. “Each season brings something different. But the beauty on campus alone doesn’t speak for how great it is. The people do.”

Although Mithila understood English, speaking it every day was difficult at first. “People were really patient with me, even though I would often say things that didn’t make any sense,” she said.“But they would try to understand.” She attributes this support to how far she’s come in speaking the language.

That patience and understanding followed into the classroom. Professors made time for questions, conversations and office hours felt approachable rather than intimidating. The College’s small size meant she was not just another face in the room.

Something that really shocked Mithila was the food. “The portions are huge,” Mithila said. At first, she didn’t understand and would order appetizers with her meals, making leftovers a regular thing!

Academically, Mithila spent her first semester exploring, unsure what major suited her. That changed when she discovered public health, inspired by Professor Budwitz and the way she represented the field.

The field, she realized, would allow her to serve her community and improve the health of people around her.

The idea became real through an internship with the New York State Department of Health at the Oneonta District Office. Working alongside sanitarians, she learned how food safety, water quality and sanitation directly affect daily life.

Outside of academics, Mithila kept pushing herself to get involved in campus life. She became a residential advisor, a role that brought leadership, responsibility and reflection. “Every time I talk to my residents, I think back to when I was a freshman,” she said. “I think about how far I’ve come and everything I have overcome.”

She also serves as a peer health educator, a role that allows her to promote health and wellness across campus along with other students and faculty members. Her goal is to help ensure the community at Hartwick is well cared for.

Of course, being far from home has not been easy. Homesickness still lingers, especially during breaks, when others leave campus. But she has learned how to manage those feelings, along with long winters and seasonal changes. She also found sisterhood through the Delta Xi Phi Multicultural Sorority Incorporated. Surrounding herself with individuals from different backgrounds and cultures has made the transition easier. “I’m not the only one who thinks this way or feels this way,” she said.

Looking back, Mithila would tell her freshman self to be patient. She explains, “It’s okay to be overwhelmed at first with schoolwork and differences of culture in a new country. It will be fine. Try many things, keep yourself busy, learn and just be patient.”

Her advice to future international students reflects the lessons she learned herself: “Just be involved, try everything and as many things as you can, join the clubs, and do the work that you really want to do. Try for the interview. Don’t be afraid of the thought that you might not get that job.”

For Mithila, studying abroad has been more than academics; it has been a test of resilience, independence and growth. “Living and studying in another country is such a unique experience,” she said. “If you get the chance, just go for it.”