Graduating international students whose families can’t attend commencement due to travel costs and visa barriers are finding alternative ways to celebrate, including virtual support, post-graduation reunions and Lehigh-hosted events.
The physical absence of family at graduation is a common experience for international students, shaping milestone moments and placing added importance on campus communities and university programming.
Physics major Kate Saltovets, ‘26, is from Ukraine and said she chose Lehigh for its academic opportunities and financial aid. She’s spent most of college far from home, and her parents won’t be attending her graduation.
“Throughout college, I only saw my family once a year or less,” Saltovets said. “Flying my parents here would have been too expensive.”
Saltovets said traveling to Ukraine now requires multiple days because there are no direct flights, with her journey home taking up to three days.
Instead, she plans to celebrate graduation with her family after leaving campus. She said they will spend a few days in Krakow, have dinner and drive back to Kyiv as a way to spend time together after years apart.
Saltovets said she will return to Kyiv after graduation rather than immediately staying in the U.S. to pursue a doctoral degree.
“Over the past year, I realized that I want to make an impact back home, at least for a few years before (graduate) school,” Saltovets said. “I can’t wait to build a community of global talent in Ukraine.”
Computer science and applied mathematics major Aabiskar Thapa Kshetri, ‘26, is from Nepal and said his family will also not attend graduation because of immigration challenges. He said he typically sees his family once a year, or not at all.
“We’ll stay connected through calls and messages, which makes moments like this even more special, ” Thapa Kshetri said. “It’s difficult, but I know they’ll be celebrating just as much from home.”
Thapa Kshetri said he will celebrate with the community, friends and mentors he’s built on campus, who have become like family and supported him throughout college.
He said he’s looking forward to walking across the stage and marking the end of his undergraduate experience after growing both academically and personally away from home over the past four years.
After graduation, he plans to begin his career and continue developing his skills in computer science.
Nino Tedoradze, ‘28, a bioengineering and biomedical engineering student from Georgia, said many international students expect their families won’t be able to attend graduation in the future due to visa challenges.
“I’m a sophomore, but my parents have already said that they probably won’t come to my graduation,” she said. “They don’t have a visa and it’s a big headache to get one from Georgia.”
She said international students often rely on virtual communication with loved ones and the support of the communities they build at Lehigh.
Tedoradze won’t be in the U.S. during this year’s graduation ceremony, but said she plans to congratulate her graduating international friends online.
Patricia Goldman, assistant director of international student engagement, said a celebration is held before graduation for international students as a way to support them.
As part of the Office of International Students and Scholars, students can request a pin of their home country’s flag to wear during the ceremony.
Goldman said students also receive letters they wrote to themselves during their first-year international student orientation as a way to reflect on their time at Lehigh.
In addition to these traditions, Goldman said staff members often support students whose families can’t attend by helping document the moment so it can be shared with loved ones abroad.
“It’s an honor to attend graduation and step in as their ‘family,’ because I have seen how hard they have worked over the past few years,” Goldman said. “I love bringing flowers for them and taking photos that they can send to their families back home.”
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