Every year, more than 6,000 international students navigate uncharted waters when moving to Aggieland for a college education at Texas A&M. They bring with them not only ambition for knowledge, but also diverse stories of resilience and the courage to start over.
Like many of his peers from international waters who set sail to start life anew in College Station, oceanography junior Siddharth Seshampally from Bangalore, India, was both excited and uncertain.
“Initially, I definitely had the problem of, ‘How do I make friends around here? How do I approach people?’” Seshampally said.
He soon discovered that the answer to his questions wasn’t within a lecture hall or dorm room but in an unexpected place: Penberthy Rec Sports Complex, A&M’s recreational facility. Soon, the fields became the grounds where Seshampally found belonging, community and Aggieland spirit while feeling like himself.
“I grew up playing football,” Seshampally said. “Those one or two hours I play, I find my sense of calmness. That’s when I feel my best. These sort of time and commitments that I put in [on the field] really make me feel welcome in terms of the soccer community.”
While the soccer pitches offered him a space to reconnect with something he loved back home, it was just one part of the adjustment. Seshampally also found an anchor through mentorship within his major.
“I met more oceanography majors … I met a lot of seniors who helped me a lot,” Seshampally said. “They’ve been of absolute help, and I don’t think I would be where I am in my department if it weren’t for them.”
For international students like Seshampally, having more than one means of support made all the difference in becoming part of the Aggie community. Seshampally found his footing through peer mentorship and playing soccer, but for computer science senior Aarya Bookseller from Surat, India, finding his path took on a slightly different form.
Despite having lived in the United States during childhood, Bookseller’s arrival at Texas A&M meant getting used to new currents again.
“College Station seemed very barren … I was like, ‘What am I doing here?’” Bookseller said.
But student-run campus events soon transformed his views on the university culture and led him to find community. During his first year, Bookseller remembers attending Holi Fest, which is hosted by the Hindu Student Association, to share parts of his culture with his French girlfriend.
“It was definitely helpful initially to just meet people and see who’s here,” Bookseller said. “It helps you feel that you’re not the only international student here. There are other people in the same boat as you.”
It was building strong connections like these that helped him settle and thrive while navigating college life.
Chemistry graduate student Yogesh Shandilya from Panipat, India, also found it valuable to take advantage of the mentoring and leadership opportunities on campus to connect with a diverse range of students.
“I think I have friends from each and every background,” Shandilya said. “ … Spending time with people from diverse backgrounds gives me a lot of lessons every day. Dr. Alison Altman … she gave me the opportunity to explore a lot of things in the lab, and I learned a lot of techniques and skills.”
Bookseller echoed the impact faculty members have on international students trying to adjust to unfamiliar territory and shared his own perspective.
“If you find a good professor, a good mentor … that’s what matters the most instead of the department itself,” Bookseller said.
While Shandilya and Bookseller navigated academic and social currents of college, they also realized that feeling truly settled into A&M meant holding onto threads of their own cultures. For both international students, staying connected to their cultural identity was a fundamental aspect of their journey as they adapted to their new life, they said.
“It’s about creating a blend of both cultures from here and otherwise and sticking to what’s true to you,” Bookseller said. “Small things like celebrating Diwali or visiting family back home … it has to be hybrid, and you have to be fluid about it.”
With time, students like Seshampally, Bookseller and Shandilya have woven themselves into the Aggie community. Forming friendships, sharing their cultures with others and growing as individuals have become the most meaningful parts of their time at A&M.
“It has been rewarding to meet people, do academics and grow independent,” Bookseller said. “Coming to a different country makes you grow as a person a lot.”
