In the last five years, Bethel has seen a significant rise in the number of international students. In fall 2024, there were new students from 11 different countries, including three represented for the first time.
One of these is Meriem Dhouibi, a first-year from Tunisia (the other “first-time” countries are Mali and Sri Lanka). Although she spent her sophomore year in high school in Dallas, on a Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study scholarship, that’s not how she found out about Bethel.
“I always loved science,” she says. “I’m very math and physics oriented, but there are not a lot of [extracurricular study] opportunities back home. Those are mostly outside of Tunisia and very expensive.
“When I was in the U.S., I applied to as many summer science programs as I could.” One was Bethel’s Summer Science Institute. She was accepted, and though she was ultimately not able to attend, she kept getting e-mail from Bethel.
Dhouibi admits that when she thought about college, “I always envisioned being at home, comfortable and safe and not across the world, but I went ahead and applied to Bethel. Eric reached out, and the rest is history.”
Eric Preheim, director of admissions, works with prospective international students.
There were “many financial constraints,” Dhouibi says. “I told my mom, ‘There’s no way I’m going to be able to go.’ With money transfer rates, it’s an insane amount.
“But I kept talking with Eric, and I ended up with a lot of scholarships and grants and so I ended up coming here.
“Eric was very persuasive. We had a lot of calls. I also [communicated with] alumni, especially Kate Becker, who now works at NASA, which is one of my dreams.”
Although Dhoubi’s mother is sad to have her so far away, “a lot of my friends do study abroad, in Europe,” she says. “And I had such a great experience [with the high school exchange], I think she was expecting it.
“When this opportunity came up, my family was very supportive. The only hard thing is the six-hour time difference. I’m so busy – by the time I finish classes and lessons and practice, my family is asleep. That’s good in a way – it helps keep me focused.”
Academics get the lion’s share of Dhouibi’s time. She is taking “as much math and physics as possible, and looking at math and software development” as majors. She also plays the violin and is taking lessons and participating in the chamber orchestra.
Dhouibi arrived at Bethel with gifts for friends and her host family (Dwight Krehbiel, professor emeritus of psychology, and Bonnie Krehbiel), along with a special decorative plate as a gift to the college.
“We have several similar ones at home,” Dhouibi says. “It’s customary to bring something when you enter someone’s home. You can’t come empty-handed.
“My mom and I were doing a lot of last-minute shopping in the market. We were not sure of the right gift for a school, but when we saw the plates in the market, that was what we decided to do.”
At the beginning of the fall semester, Dhouibi presented the plate, made of metal and custom stamped and painted, to President Jon Gering.
Preheim says, “‘Ambassador for north Africa and Tunisia’ is part of Meriem’s attitude.”
Asked what was behind the increase in international students, Preheim first cited “coaches, especially Gabe Johnson [head tennis coach], who has done well at finding students who are good tennis players as well as great fits on campus. We also have soccer coaches who were international students in the U.S. themselves, and they have pipelines.
“This has helped some of our other coaches know the process and what to look for. They’re seeing we can get international students to Bethel and they can be successful.”
Dhouibi represents more recruitment efforts being aimed at non-athletes from outside the United States as well, Preheim says. Summer Science Institute, which is offered both on-campus and online, has the potential to be a conduit.
“It has enriched the campus to have the diversity of students,” he says.
Bethel is a four-year liberal arts college founded in 1887 and is the oldest Mennonite college in North America. Bethel was the first Kansas college or university to be named a Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation (TRHT) Campus Center, in 2021. For more information, see http://www.bethelks.edu
