As St. Thomas continues to focus on globalization as one of its themes for the strategic plan of St. Thomas 2020, there has been plenty of recognition on where the university stands today: For the 2015-16 academic year, 79 countries and states outside Minnesota are represented in the student bodies of St. Thomas' different schools. That's some 1,700 students who bring unique ideas, hopes, dreams and knowledge, all of which were shaped in part by the places they come from. Their contributions now help shape the St. Thomas community and make it what it is every day: a growing, constantly evolving group of people who recognize the value of what they can learn from someone who is from somewhere different than themselves.
To help get a sense of what some of their ideas are, we asked students from across those countries and states four questions: What brought them to St. Thomas for school? What is their favorite thing about going to school and living in Minnesota? What do they feel is the most important thing people should know and recognize about their home state or country (a difficult question, to be sure, but one that gave students the chance to articulate what they believe others should most know about their home)? What is the best food from their home state or country (humans' shared love of food is too strong a connection not to ask this one!)?
Check out the map below and get to know, one state and country at a time, some of the places St. Thomas students call home.
