International students at NYU Shanghai have long held the reputation of being risk-takers. Pursuing a degree abroad brings challenges unheard of by other college students: obtaining visas and resident permits, learning how to use apps in a foreign language, and often taking twelve to fifteen-hour flights back and forth to China. But for the Class of 2024, the obstacles are even more impressive. OCA spoke with four incoming first-years to discuss how they committed to NYU Shanghai during an international pandemic.

The first official COVID-19 report from Wuhan, China, reached international news on December 31, 2019. With regular decision applications to NYU Shanghai due in early January, prospective students already faced a degree of uncertainty.

Fiona Lemon, an incoming student from Washington, U.S.A shared her initial experiences:

“I got so many comments from my peers, family, and friends saying, 'Aren't you're going to get Corona in China?”

Timothy Fraher, from California, U.S.A, also expressed initial reservations towards committing to NYU Shanghai.

“There was a portion of time right before quarantine started when I was a little bit hesitant about whether or not I had made the right decision because I figured that I would have to do all online classes and all of my friends would get to do their in person classes,” he told us.

Despite these circumstances, the Class of 2024 retained it’s passion for NYU Shanghai.

Lemon embraced the connection it gave her to her Chinese heritage, and told us “you're not going to get that ‘global’ setting unless you go outside of the U.S. and broaden perspectives.”

“I fell in love with the environment.” Lemon added about visiting the NYU Shanghai campus.

Fraher shared that it will be a brand new experience for him. He looks forward to the independence that comes with being an NYU Shanghai student.

“I could have the liberty to do as I pleased with my education.”

Ali Debow, another first-year student from Hong Kong, was drawn to the school for it’s “fusion of Western and Chinese culture.” She describes herself as an entrepreneur, and said there was “no better place” than NYU Shanghai to be one.

When asked whether news of the pandemic deterred him from committing to NYU Shanghai, João Vitor, from São Paulo, Brazil, replied:

“No, at first glance. My main focus was always going to NYU.”

As the college commitment date of May 1st came around, many countries faced harsh restrictions or quarantines due to the pandemic. For incoming NYU Shanghai students, this proved to be critical in leading them to commit to the school.

“China has the Coronavirus way more under control than the U.S.,” Lemon said. “I'm still equally as eager and excited to go to Shanghai.”

Debow agreed, telling us “it was meant to be because it's the best place to go to school right now.”

However, Vice Chancellor Lehman’s recent updates on returning to campus have resulted in mixed feelings among the first-year students.

When asked about the emails, Vitor told us:

“I've had a couple frustrations along the way because I know they don't have the right information about what is going to happen because they depend on the government too.”

Lemon and Debow shared similar sentiments regarding the school’s communication.

However, the first-year students also understand the geopolitical difficulties the school is encountering in preparing for the fall semester.

“Everyone is in this weird limbo relying on what the Chinese government says, and we have no control over that,” adds Lemon.

Fraher shared his perspective:

“It's keeping me optimistic that I'm at least getting some feedback—I'm pretty optimistic that we will get to go.”

The NYU Shanghai Class of 2024 has already proven itself to be an impressive class willing to defy the odds and make the most out of every situation. As they continue to wait for more news and plan for the semester, they have utilized various platforms to connect with each other. Vitor shared with us:

“Even though I'm going to the other side of the world, I'm already meeting people from other cultures and my peers that I will be joining that are from the US or other places—all because of Alive Vibe that Ali [Debow] created. Some people in the WeChat group hit me up and I started talking to them so I already have some Chinese friends. This type of establishment of connections even though we don't know each other, I think that's pretty cool because that never has happened to me with the Brazilian university that I was in. People seem really open—not just freshmen, but also upperclassmen.”

As the semester unfolds, the Class of 2024 will continue to make history at NYU Shanghai.

This article was written byMia Barkenaes and Jaden Schapiro,currently based in Oregon, USA and New York, USA. You can reach out to the authors at [email protected] / [email protected].Photo credit: Flux Factory / Getty Images