Thoughts from current international students, alumni, and parents
We asked a few current students, recent alumni, and parents of international students to share their experiences and advice with prospective students (and their parents!) from around the world. Here are their stories.
Zhiyan Yang '13
Zhiyan lived for 20 years in Hangzhou and Shanghai, China, before coming to Sarah Lawrence College. A brand new graduate, he concentrated in art history and cultural anthropology while here.
Juan M. Sucre '16
Juan was born in Caracas, Venezuela, and before coming to SLC he lived in Monterrey, Mexico, London, England, Jakarta, Indonesia, and Madrid, Spain. At SLC, he concentrates in international relations and social sciences.
Teresa Phiri '13
Teresa was born in Malawi, raised in Mozambique, and graduated high school in Swaziland. At SLC, she concentrates in economics and political science.
Niyonta Nahia Chowdhury '15
Niyonta hails from Bangladesh and is studying theater, computer science, neuropsychology, film writing, and music.
Shiyuan He '15
Shiyuan came to SLC from China and is studying creative writing and literature, while considering a foray into visual arts and psychology.
Shivani Mehta '13
Shivani, a native of Mumbai, India, is studying psychology and French, and enjoying the proximity of New York City.
Fanni Gabor '12
Fanni was born in Hungary and is studying sociology, art history, writing, and German.
Luis A. Lei '12
Luis was born in Argentina to Chinese parents, lived in China for three years, and then returned to Argentina. Now he's enjoying all that SLC and NYC have to offer.
Mariam Sandhu, Parent
Mariam lives in Dubai and is the parent of Noor Sandhu '11.
Arij Al Khedery, Parent
Arij lives in Lebanon and is the parent of Nour El Rayes '13 and Sammy El Rayes '16.
Many international students meet Shirley Be in their home countries when she visits their schools to talk about Sarah Lawrence. Shirley reads applications from all international students and conducts interviews, many by Skype. Once enrolled, Shirley becomes each international student’s adviser. She processes immigration documents, conducts orientation sessions, and does day-to-day advising. Applicants can reach Shirley at