When COVID-19 broke out in the U.S., many schools were closed and a large number of international students living on campus found that they no longer had a place to live. As an international student, my social media was full of posts from people who were looking for housing at that time. Fortunately, Baylor allowed all international students to continue to live on campus, and provided services, such as meals and grocery shopping shuttles. However, not all international students were as lucky as Baylor’s. I have a couple of friends in Seattle, Wash. who are international students from Japan and Korea. They ended up living in others’ living rooms or basements for a while.

Fulbright and Goldwater are two of the more prestigious names in higher education, thanks to the incredibly competitive scholarship awards that bear their names. It’s become commonplace for Baylor to win multiple such awards — last year, nine Baylor students were awarded either a Goldwater or Fulbright, building on successes over the the last few years.

The Office of the President announced earlier this month that all international mission trips and study abroad programs would be canceled this summer, but the University will, “explor[e] alternative opportunities and experiences for students as well as the possibility of opening up additional course sections over the summer months”. However, the effects have been far more immediate for current study abroad students and professors.