St. Thomas: The International University

October 2019, Vice Provost Wendy Wyatt returned to the Twin Cities after visiting high schools throughout Norway. Dr. Wyatt traveled to five different cities meeting students who are interested in studying in the U.S. Dr. Wyatt met some incredible students while recruiting potential Tommies in Norway.

“ It was so fun to meet the students, they all had amazing enthusiasm, not to mention a special connection to Minnesota because of its rich Norwegian heritage,” Dr. Wyatt recalled when asked about her encounters with the students.

For a brief part of the trip, two St. Thomas alumni who had a special connection to Norway accompanied Dr. Wyatt. The couple, who are now married, had met while on a train in Norway during high school, and then reconnected at the University of St. Thomas.

“They stayed together, graduated, got married, and now the husband has a job in Norway where his wife is originally from! It was such a cool connection and really proved that it is such a small world,” Wyatt remembered.

The university has seen a nearly 25% increase in international students in the past five years. Internationalization has been a goal of St. Thomas’ that is still being pursued, now with 71 countries being represented on campus. The diversity within the student body enriches the fabric of the St. Thomas community, helping build greater intercultural understanding, and illustrating that the Common Good knows no boundaries or boarders.