International Students Face Extra Challenges
International dual-degree student Marta de Cossio ‘21 travels from Madrid, Spain, to attend Elon. Due to COVID-19, international travel has become challenging, as people are discouraged from traveling for leisure to avoid further spread of the virus.
“I was really nervous about going back to school this year since I am a senior and I was starting to feel safe and adjusted to how things were going in Spain,” says de Cossio. “Spain takes the coronavirus way more seriously than they do here.”
Elon had initially told international students that they would not be allowed to return to campus for the fall semester but soon changed its mind saying that they would be permitted back after completing a two-week quarantine in a place such as The Bahamas or Mexico.
“We all thought that was crazy, but even so, I was still planning the trip. I wanted to come back to Elon,” says de Cossio.
A week after telling the students that they could come back to Elon after quarantining in another country, Elon once again changed its requirements. “A week after telling us we could quarantine somewhere else, we were told we could come back to Elon but that we would have to quarantine for two more weeks.” De Cossio found this requirement unfair because Spain, at the time, had fewer cases than the United States and was taking the virus more seriously.
Traveling makes for additional challenges for international students at Elon. Photo found here.
De Cossio explained that since her arrival in August, she’s seen an abundance of people who refuse to wear masks. “I have seen people going into supermarkets without masks or even cashiers without masks, which I honestly could not believe.”
In regard to how her family and friends at home feel about her returning to the United States, de Cossio says, “Some of my family members think I’m crazy for being here, but others think that I should be proud because I’m doing this for my future.”
Overall, de Cossio says her advisors have been helpful with organizing her requirements for traveling back and forth from campus to Madrid. As of right now, she’s unsure of whether or not she will return to Spain for the holidays, but if she does, she intends to quarantine.