The overheard phone conversations and dialogues at San Francisco State University are not solely spoken in English – Russian, Cantonese, and Portuguese are heard around the school often, especially as the summer months roll around.

A large percentage of the young adults hanging around the campus after school is out for summer are foreign students.

San Francisco draws countless amounts of eager tourists from countries all over the world to its sparkling lights, towering buildings, and exciting urban atmosphere each year. SFSU benefits from the city’s glory, as over 1,500 foreign exchange students from over 100 countries whom have arrived at their gates in recent years to experience the city and the school.

These students do not always have the same opportunities or desires to travel home to their families.

While the typical American college student endures a long drive or a nine hour plane flight at the very worst to visit their family back home over the long summer break, students who have immigrated from far away countries to America are less likely to reunite with their families overseas.

“The city has kind of become my home,” said rising SFSU senior Sam, his light Russian accent slipping through his words.

Four years after leaving Russia to live in San Francisco, with only a few vacations back to his native country under his belt, tech-minded Sam has come to love being in America and feels he has been given more opportunities to succeed in his field of study as a Business major.

“I am happy I came here to experience America,” Sam said, a small grin on his face. “In Russia, nobody smiles on the street and few people seem happy. I do not miss that part of living there.”

It is not only a lack of desire that can keep a foreign college student from traveling back home during their break time.

“My close friend has not been home in three years,” recently graduated SFSU student Emily said, shaking her head. “She simply can not afford to travel to China, which is unfair and sad.”

The university takes action to keep the international students involved during the summer if they are not able to return home by encouraging the young adults to enroll in Extended Learning classes and summer studies.

While many international students may find that getting back to where they came from can be difficult, the world’s melting pot will always continue to welcome them.