Photo by Hiroki Konno
Culture shock opened doors for personal growth, said BYU–Hawaii students. From exploring new aspects of identity to navigating self-reliance and adapting to different learning environments, students said their journey shaped them into more confident, independent and open-minded individuals.
Nurturing self-identity amid alienation
Victoria Husted, a freshman majoring in Pacific Island studies and biology from California, said she was surprised by Hawaii’s openness and aloha spirit. Growing up half-American and half-Romanian, she said she felt alienated when trying to form deeper cultural connections, which motivated her to explore her identity more deeply.
In Hawaii’s ethnically diverse environment, Husted said she was amazed by its inclusivity. “The Aloha spirit is so strong, and everyone has each other’s back here,” she said. She noted the everyday generosity in Hawaii, especially in public transportation. Unlike the mainland, where riding the bus never felt safe to her, she shared she felt safe in Hawaii. The buses display shaka and mahalo signs to express gratitude, even in inconvenient situations, she said.
Despite Hawaii’s hospitality, Husted said her unique heritage made it difficult to feel a sense of belonging. “Being the only half-Romanian in this university made me feel alone,” she said. Watching ethnic groups in BYUH bond and support each other, she said their enthusiasm helped her make friends but left her struggling to connect culturally. “I can connect as an American or a foreigner, but connecting with Eastern European culture is difficult since it’s so rare on campus,” she said.
Although she grew up exposed to the Romanian language, cuisines and traditions, she explained she remained unfamiliar with its deeper cultural aspects. Seeing Polynesians enthusiastically practice their roots, speak their languages, and stay connected to tradition, she said made her more aware of what she lacked. “I never got to learn my mother’s language because I had a speech disability growing up. I couldn’t connect to my mom personally, and it sometimes made me feel like an outsider, even as her daughter,” she said.
Photo by Hiroki Konno
Husted said her Introduction to the Pacific Island Studies class helped her reflect on her heritage. In Professor Norman Thompson’s lectures on cultural identity and subjugation, she said she realized the importance of enthusiasm and energy in self-discovery. “It was eye-opening as someone trying to connect to both my mom’s Romanian side and my dad’s side. It gave me a broader view of what I need to do to connect those two cultures and embrace the different cultures in my family,” she said.
Inspire by the Pacific Islanders’ resilience, Husted said the course motivated her to learn her mother’s language and explore Romanian culture beyond recipes and history. “It was an eye-opener. Despite all the challenges, they preserved their culture and language and are still fighting for their identity within the world. That also inspired me to fight for mine,” she said.
Support from friends helped her adjust to culture shock, Husted shared. “During new student orientation, I was actually crying the whole time, getting emotional that my parents were leaving,” she said. As she returned to her dorm, trying to hide her tears, she said another freshman from Fiji noticed and asked why she was crying. “I told her it was my first time being alone without my parents, and I felt vulnerable. She told me it’s completely fine to cry,” she said. Husted said she felt emotionally supported as they walked back to their dorm, having arms around each other.
Overcoming the difficulty of feeling excluded as a cultural minority, Husted said her social connections at BYUH helped her feel included. “You can connect by being friends, finding common ground, or enjoying each other’s presence. The emotional support I gain from these relationships really helped me adjust,” she said. She added joining the Aotearoa club, despite not being Maori or from New Zealand, she found a sense of belonging. “Regardless of background, I felt unity. I was having fun, and I didn’t feel like an outsider,” she said.
Moving to Hawaii helped her reflect on her identity, but the journey isn’t over, Husted said. “My identity will continue to evolve. Who knows if I will continue to experience culture shock? I’m still learning things about Hawaii. I have much more to go and develop,” she said.
The Aloha spirit is so strong, and everyone has each other’s back here.
Victoria Husted
Growing self-reliance in individualism
Coming to BYUH alone for college without the support of family and close friends both challenged and strengthened her to be self-reliant, said Enkhchimeg Zorigt, a senior majoring in business management from Mongolia. “Everyone here is very independent and has personal space. Also, people don’t care about you much because they focus more on themselves. Here, you have to do it on your own,” she said. Coming from a collective and family-oriented society where close relatives and friends care for and support her, she shared it was a major lifestyle shift.
Zorigt shared the changes brought emotional challenges, especially since she didn’t have close friends to lean on when she first arrived. “I had a really hard time in my first year. I was crying almost every day, thinking I could not handle this, but I wasn’t a kid anymore. I had to behave and think like a grown-up. I had to deal with problems on my own,” she said.
Driven by her dedication to pursue education, Zorigt shared she faced such difficulties with courage. “If I were back home, I might have given up. But I cannot just go back home, so I have to deal with it whether I want it or not,” she said. She added this mindset helped her make decisions independently and confront problems directly.
Zorigt added she struggled with language barriers, challenging her to express herself and share her opinions. “I decided to study and improve my English to communicate better, so I don’t have to cry anymore,” she said. By overcoming each challenge step by step, she shared she gained confidence in solving problems on her own. “I still cannot tell if I am completely mature, but I developed much more than when I was back home,” she said.
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Developing independence helped her engage in a business competition, where individual preparation was essential for team success, Zorigt said. “We had to meet almost every day as a team, doing our own part, no one telling us what to do. You have to do everything on your own,” she said. Sh explained collaboration based on individual contributions enables greater and more meaningful teamwork. She added that individualism helped her communicate clearly, reminding her the responsibility to interact with and progress as a team.
“Collaboration roots from independence and interdependence,” shared Zorigt. While preparing for a presentation during the competition, she shared she had to memorize her script solely. “There were some parts where I worked with my teammates, but they cannot be with me 24/7. I had to memorize it alone, with nobody instructing and reminding me to work on it,” she said. She took the initiative to learn to be self-motivated, proactive, and productive. She said these skills led to stronger teamwork, ultimately winning in the competition.
Overcoming culture shock, Zorigt shared a growth mindset and positive attitude helped her move forward. “Even though you fail today, there’s always tomorrow.You can do better,” she said. She explained she reminded herself that every day was a new opportunity and a beginning to grow. Friends in Hawaii supported her through tough times, and she explained staying in touch with family and friends back home empowered her. “In every situation when battling things happened, I would pray to God to feel strength. Every time I overcome or face a challenge, I find blessings,” she said.
In her first year, Zorigt said she often missed Mongolia. At the same time, she explained she saw her home country as a developing nation with many difficulties, such as air pollution and traffic and did not want to return. “I was seeing all of them as problems, not as opportunities to grow,” she said. Through studying business, she said she learned problems can represent opportunities, as people have chances to improve and create change.
“Here, everything is already developed. But in Mongolia, we have room for development. There’s so much more we can do in Mongolia than here. So, I see Mongolia as more of an opportunity,” Zorigt said. She expressed she hopes to contribute her passion for business to help her country prosper.
“…Every time I overcome or face a challenge, I find blessings.”
Enkhchimeg Zorigt
Cultivating adaptability in educational differences
Photo by Hiroki Konno
Thipwigorn Khamjan, a junior majoring in business management from Thailand, said she experienced her biggest culture shocks in BYUH’s classroom settings, leading her to develop new learning skills and build confidence. “In our culture, we don’t speak up much in the classroom. We mostly stay quiet and listen to the professor,” she said. Speaking up and asking questions during class were common in the U.S. educational environment, she added. “I felt like they were so smart, and I’m too shy to speak up,” she said.
Because of this difference in attitude toward education, Khamjan shared she worried she might be perceived as disinterested or unengaged in lectures and courses. “We were taught to be obedient to our teachers, so it wasn’t something I couldn’t change in a short amount of time,” she said. Even when she did participate, she often felt misunderstood due to language barriers while communicating in her second language.
Wanting to adjust, Khamjan explained she began trying to understand why people shared their thoughts and asked questions. “Listening to instructors expands our knowledge, but it’s also important to participate in classes. We can invite people into our opinions, and when others share theirs, we learn from them. Not all learning comes from the professor,” she said. She emphasized balancing traditional and new educational approaches to optimize her learning experience.
She also highlighted acknowledging herself that it will take time to adjust to help her overcome challenges. “Not everything can change in split seconds. I had to accept and soothe myself, reminding myself it’s not a weird thing but a new thing,” she said. As she adapted, she said she learned to open her mind and appreciate the beauty in different cultures.
Over time, Khamjan shared she learned to appreciate the uniqueness of her and others’ cultures, growing more open-minded and less judgmental. “Now I‘m more comfortable with new cultures, it takes a shorter time to adapt to them,” she said. She added she feels more confident sharing her opinions than she did as a freshman. “I’m not much of an eloquent person, but when I strongly want to share my testimony and feel prompted to speak up, I confidently follow it and share,” she said. She shared the experience helped her adjust to and communicate at her internship in Honolulu, where everyone was a native speaker.
Not everything can change in split seconds…
Thipwigorn Khamjan