By Nar Shar Bo (MTS’27)
Standing in the mist where borders blur and the thunderous water drowns out the anxieties of the unknown, a group of international scholars found the perfect stage to celebrate their hard-earned success and embrace the journey ahead
This annual trip originated with a group of international students talking about how they were about to graduate but were not able to really travel or tour the areas around Boston because of studies, work, and financial resources. Clinical Assistant Professor of Contextual Theology & Practice Cristian De La Rosa offered the group the opportunity to choose where they wanted to go and helped find financial resources. Since then, Prof. De La Rosa, with the support of Director of Spiritual Life Charlene Zuill, has made the offer to a group of international students who organize and choose their US destination. Previous trips have taken students to Martha’s Vineyard, Six Flags amusement park in Agawam, MA, Salem, MA, and Niagara Falls on the US/Canada border.
Confronting the Unknown: The International Student Reality
For an international student, graduation is rarely just a time of pure celebration; it is often a period fraught with immense legal and emotional transition. Maria Gorret Nampiima (‘26,SSW’26) recalled the heavy mental burden she carried into the month of May, just days before receiving the invitation to Niagara Falls: “I was wrestling with the unknown reality of the transition that lay ahead of me after graduation, including leaving my residence that I had called home for the last three years, navigating the frustration and anxiety around waiting for my OPT approval, and struggling to juggle my last weeks of internship and final papers.”
Without a job lined up and her legal status hanging in the balance of government paperwork, the trip became much more than a sightseeing tour; it became a psychological sanctuary. When asked about her post-graduation plans, Nampiima would tell people she was going to Niagara Falls. It was her escape and her source of joy in a time of deep despair.
This profound sense of relief was collectively shared by the travelers. Recalling the liberating atmosphere of the experience, graduate Dimitri Januar Bawole (‘26) summarized the emotional weight lifting off their shoulders, noting that while on the trip, “Everything seems good, nothing to worry about.”
Mabel Celestino (‘26), who joined the group to assist with logistics and celebrate alongside her peers, noted that the time spent discovering the magnitude of the falls allowed the students to engage in vital “meaning-making” after their intense years at STH. It was a rare window of time to exist in a new place with loose plans and only one rule: to enjoy.
Braving the Waters: The Maid of the Mist
When the group finally arrived at the state park, the magnitude of the landmark left them spellbound. Elizabeth Opoku-Baffour (‘26) described the Maid of the Mist voyage as an unforgettable, “sweet-scary” experience. As the boat pushed through the heavy mist and the crashing water boomed around them, the sheer force of nature was both terrifying and deeply spiritual. “Thankfully, I survived it!” Opoku-Baffour laughed, noting that the trip gave her a profound chance to admire the grandeur of creation up close.
Nampiima echoed that she “…enjoyed the splashing water on our faces and the screams of adults, children, and youth as we navigated our voyage on the rough side of the falls. It is a moment that words alone can’t explain it all,” she recalled. For those who preferred to stay on dry land, witnessing the magnitude of the wonder from the cliffs was no less impactful.
Finding Borders; Breaking Boundaries
A profound realization of the trip happened while floating in the middle of the river. Looking across the water, Nampiima noticed another tourist boat floating nearby, except its passengers were wearing bright red ponchos instead of blue she and her classmates were wearing. Someone tapped her on the shoulder and pointed out that those travelers were on the Canadian side of the falls. The students in blue began waving enthusiastically across the river, and the travelers in red eagerly waved back.
This simple exchange sparked a moment of deep theological and geopolitical reflection for the international graduates. In the middle of the river, they realized that the water didn’t care about international lines. “There was so much to ponder because in that river, we were all one,” Nampiima reflected. “We didn’t need a specific visa to share the water, yet things would change if we took the bridge that crossed the river from the US side to Canada.”
A Brilliant Send-Off
On the final night of their journey, the students gathered along the edge of the gorge for one final spectacle. On the Canadian side, a magnificent display of fireworks began to launch into the night sky. It was a bittersweet, beautiful moment shared among friends who had arrived as stressed-out students and were leaving as triumphant seminary graduates. Standing together in the glow of the fireworks, they celebrated their collective wins, ready at last to face whatever unknown paths lay ahead of them.
“It was such a blessing to wrap up my academic and spiritual journey at BUSTH with my awesome friends,” says Inyeop Choi (’26). “This trip was a wonderful time of rest, and it reminded me how grateful I am for the BU STH community.”
Banner photo courtesy of Emmanuel Odei-Larbi (’27).