Student Spotlight: Fenia Kowatsch and Nina Tsagareli 

Although they have only been at Bryn Mawr for a couple of months, Fenia and Nina have truly settled into the community. As international students from Austria and Germany, respectively, both bring unique experiences and perspectives to the Bryn Mawr campus. Despite the possible challenges leaving their home countries may pose, such as cultural differences, social isolation, and homesickness, Nina and Fenia demonstrate an immense amount of courage by immersing themselves in a completely new environment. They have adapted to a different culture and created new social connections, becoming true Mawrtians.

When interviewed about their first impressions of Bryn Mawr, they admitted that they were much better than expected. Nina and Fenia are members of the ASSIST Scholars Program, which matches their participants to schools that align with their strengths, personalities, and interests based on their personal essays and various other aspects of their applications. Since they did not choose the school they would attend, they initially were uncertain about their placement. Fenia, a sophomore, admits that Baltimore was not her first choice; however, she has grown to love the city. The pair had preconceived notions about schooling in America. They initially believed that an all-girls school, such as Bryn Mawr, would have the stereotypical drama and gossip frequently portrayed in the media. They were also concerned with gun violence in American schools, an issue heavily reviewed in global media.

However, as they settled in, Fenia and Nina quickly realized that their initial assumptions were mistaken. Nina, also a sophomore, describes the Bryn Mawr community as welcoming and close-knit, soon coming to view it as “a second home.” She explained that being in an all-girls school has been an empowering experience, providing her with the confidence and support she needed. Fenia expressed her own appreciation for the various school-wide events and spirit festivities such as dress-down days, the Thanksgiving Convocation, and the Martin Luther King Jr. Day event that contributed to unifying her with the Bryn Mawr community.

Nina and Fenia attributed their process of adjusting to fall sports, which provided them with opportunities to build friendships and find a sense of belonging within athletic teams. In both Germany and Austria, athletics are often done outside of school, so being able to play sports at Bryn Mawr was a new experience for them. They both recalled how nervous they were on the first day of tryouts; however, their fears disappeared after being warmly welcomed by teammates. When asked about their favorite memories so far at Bryn Mawr, Fenia and Nina fondly recalled the time spent with the field-hockey and tennis teams. For Nina, tennis was a sport she was already familiar with and enjoyed playing. Her favorite moment during the season was after a very successful day of competing, in which every player on the team won their match, so the team celebrated with a trip to Chipotle. Despite being new to field hockey, Fenia grew to love the sport and the team. A moment that stood out to her was not a moment of victory, but of defeat after the team lost 5-0 and appreciation of  the beautiful sunset that followed and being surrounded by her teammates. 

When asked how Bryn Mawr compares to their previous educational experiences, Nina stated she appreciates the availability to meet with teachers through office hours, citing it as the main difference between Bryn Mawr and her previous school, where such opportunities were not available. “The teachers [at Bryn Mawr] really care about the students.” Fenia noted the differences in which classes are organized, with a smaller number of classes to balance and a longer duration of classes at Bryn Mawr. 

Nina and Fenia are going to miss being a part of the Bryn Mawr community and the relationships they have built with the students and teachers. Fenia will especially miss hearing from senior speakers during convocation and their always “extremely intriguing” topics. Both will miss the friends they have made at Bryn Mawr, with whom they have shared many meaningful memories, and their host family, whom they appreciate very much. Upon reflection, Fenia and Nina left us with some words of encouragement to step out of our comfort zone, “Don’t be afraid to go up to people and talk to them… Try out everything, discover your passions and hobbies. You only live once.”