Being an international student, especially when it is time to go home, can be tricky, and require some patience.
On Dec. 21, the day most students were to depart for Winter break, multiple Williston students had to spend extra time at the Boston Logan Airport after multiple flight cancelations.
Due to Williston’s large population of international students, 28 different nationalities this year, the travel destinations vary for each student. As a result, many students depend on air travel to return to their families, which can sometimes come with complications. On that day, the weather conditions were unfavorable; it was a snowy day, which led to unpredictable traffic and flight cancelations. These types of circumstances are out of one’s control, yet they can trigger worry and stress for teenagers traveling by themselves.
Blue Meyerson, a junior from Japan and Korea, was one of the affected individuals; she didn’t miss her flight, however, she had to wait on the plane for four hours.
“I boarded the plane the time it said but I had to wait in the plane for about four hours,” Blue said. “One of the hours there was no AC, so everyone was complaining and yelling, still they didn’t let us leave the plane.”
Blue was flying to Narita International Airport in Tokyo.
Blue has traveled her entire life, so she no longer gets stressed out; however, that flight really took a toll on her.
“Not being told what’s wrong with the plane makes people overthink, that’s also what was going through my mind,” Blue added. “I was thinking if it might be something more serious and if I should be even flying right now or what if something happens when we take off.”
Thoughts like these can be a lot to handle emotionally. David Koritkoski, the Dean of Students, advises students traveling internationally to be in touch, and to plan for all eventualities.
“My advice is to communicate well,” he said. “[Students] should make sure that they are planning ahead in terms of making sure that their flights are arranged at the right times, just to be proactive and plan ahead as far as possible.”
Even with careful planning, complications can still arise. It’s best, Koritkoski says, for students to realize they aren’t alone.
“There is a lot of communication that goes on between the Dean’s office, families and students,” Koritkoski said. “There is always, 24 hours, 7 days a week, a dean on duty, available to call, so if anyone’s ever stuck somewhere along the way, communicating with the dean on duty can always help.”
