University YMCA (and Kasey Umland) in US News

"One of the things with the rise in international undergraduates that we've seen is that not only are people away from their families and lonely, but they're also going through the very important developmental experience of college—and there isn't a lot of attention spent on how that's different when you're in a new culture and also isolated from your support network," Umland notes.

To combat that, Umland's programs geared for both international and American students at the YMCA include cultural meetings over coffee, weekend performances, holiday festivities, and more. She also encourages students to seek out university-run initiatives, even those not specifically for international students, such as counseling for anyone feeling isolated and immersion trips that connect foreign students with their domestic peers."

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