Letter to the Editor: Not just a stamp, but a transformation

The Brown and White’s recent editorial, “Success shouldn’t be measured in passport stamps,” struck a deep chord with me. I mostly agree, and would add that true global learning begins not only when students cross borders with their feet, but when they let their minds travel across disciplines, cultures and radically-different worldviews.

A university is, quite literally, a place where one finds their place in the universe. It is a laboratory for testing different ways of learning, living, loving, thinking, doing and, most importantly, being. When students are encouraged to experiment with unfamiliar intellectual paradigms, work in radically different cultures, ask difficult questions of themselves and others and produce original work that contributes to the world, education becomes a transformative process rather than a checklist.

What makes me truly proud of the Lehigh community is how a wide array of offices — led by the Office of International Affairs, the Office of Student Access and Success and many others — have been working tirelessly to reduce barriers to global engagement and create meaningful opportunities for students. The Passport to Success initiative, which ensures that financial or logistical hurdles don’t keep students from even taking their first step toward studying abroad, is a shining example of Lehigh’s commitment to inclusive global learning. The Maida Education Abroad Grants further expand this commitment by providing need-based funding that makes study, internships, research and service abroad possible for more students. Collectively, these efforts signal that international education is not a luxury, but a vital part of every student’s education.

I believe that every single Lehigh student should engage in a meaningful travel-based opportunity, whether it is taking courses abroad for a semester, interning with a company through the Iacocca Internship Program or conducting research and building social ventures through the Global Social Impact Fellowship.

What I have seen over and over again during my 20-plus year career is that we learn the most when we are out of our comfort zone. That is where cognitive flexibility comes alive — when you miss the last train in Tokyo, or have to negotiate a price in a language you don’t quite speak or discover that the “familiar” food on your plate is actually something entirely different. These moments are humbling, often hilarious in hindsight and, most importantly, transformative. They stretch our minds, sharpen our creativity and build the resilience to thrive in uncertainty — skills no textbook alone can ever teach.

And let’s not forget the world we’re walking into — an AI-driven future where machines can outcalculate, outanalyze and even outwrite us. If anything, this is the moment to triple down on what makes us human — empathy, adaptability, cross-cultural understanding. But how can we hope to cultivate those qualities if we never step beyond the familiar and immerse ourselves in the full complexity and multiplicity of the human experience?

One of the greatest strengths of a Lehigh education is the ability to personalize your journey — to weave together core academics, high-impact programs, like Lehigh360, and unique experiences in ways that reflect students’ passions and ambitions. So yes, a meaningful college experience does not have to look the same for everyone, as your piece concluded. But let’s also be honest: we grow the most when we are out of our comfort zones, and nothing catapults us there faster than being immersed in a new culture, language and worldview. Studying abroad, in any of its diverse forms, is not an obligation, but an extraordinary opportunity. And every single Lehigh student should intentionally partake in it.

Sincerely,

Khanjan Mehta
Vice Provost for Creative Inquiry