A Decade in America: My Journey as a Chinese Student, Graduate Years

As much as Tianyu Shen’s undergraduate years as a Chinese student in the US were about belonging, his postgraduate experience in Boston revealed the other side of the international student journey: employability, professional development, and deeper cultural immersion.

Graduate School: A Shift Toward Career

After earning my bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Statistics in Nebraska, I knew I wanted to pursue graduate studies in a city with stronger business networks. I applied to programs in Boston and Miami, eventually choosing Northeastern University's master’s in Business Data Analytics.

I was accepted to the Miami program before I heard from Boston. Due to admissions policies and timing, I was forced to put a sizable deposit on the Miami option while waiting to hear about my acceptance in Boston.

In the end, I chose Boston. Northeastern felt more welcoming, and I sensed Boston would have more job opportunities after graduation. Plus, Boston was my first stop in the United States, and I had family and friends there, so I wouldn’t be starting completely alone. I ended up forfeiting the deposit I sent to the Miami institution.

Northeastern was a different world from Nebraska. Professors were often current executives, CEOs, CMOs, and consultants, who brought real-time business problems into the classroom. Their perspectives gave me an executive mindset long before I had real corporate experience.

The university also invested heavily in international students. They ran resume workshops, mock interviews, and even specialized coaching for those of us struggling to navigate cultural and linguistic barriers. One professor in a sales and marketing course conducted practice interviews for international students, helping us refine our confidence in English business communication. These interventions mattered more than words can capture.

The Harsh Reality of Job Hunting

Even with a strong degree and preparation, the job market was brutal. Out of 120 Chinese students in my program, only about a dozen ultimately found jobs in the U.S. The rest returned home, often discouraged.

I personally submitted over 1,000 applications on LinkedIn. I received dozens of interviews, but many ended abruptly once employers heard I needed sponsorship. I came close to landing a role at Bank of America, but my heavy accent was viewed as a disadvantage for a client-facing position, despite my technical qualifications.

It was disheartening. Six years of study and hundreds of thousands of dollars later, I faced the reality that even strong credentials didn’t guarantee opportunity.

Finding My Place at Intead

Eventually, I met Ben (yes, that Ben at Intead). Our conversation wasn’t just about my resume, it was about my journey. Despite my imperfect English, he saw the value in my perspective and skills. I became a Business Analyst, working with US universities to conduct data analysis and competitive research, particularly with the lens of international students. My role contributed to our clients’ capacity to enroll more international students from targeted countries.

This job became the turning point of my American journey. It gave me employment and also a mission: to give back to the same institutions that had supported students like me.

Giving Back to U.S. Higher Education

At Intead, I worked on projects that directly shaped how universities understood international student experiences. Ben asked me to co-author a chapter in Entry Points to U.S. Education and I served as a data analyst for Intead’s very popular report: Connecting Dots: How International Students Find Jobs in the U.S. Through Intead, I even won the opportunity to present at international conferences such as AIEA, PIE Live, and NAFSA - standing alongside esteemed educators who dedicate their careers to improving student mobility.

Thanks to STEM OPT, I was able to work for three years after graduation. I wasn’t just learning anymore, I was contributing.

The H1B: A Dream, and a Dilemma

In 2024, Intead sponsored my application for an H-1B visa and to my surprise, I won through the U.S. lottery system. For many, this is the ultimate dream. For me, it was bittersweet. When I told my parents, they weren’t excited. They worried it meant I would stay in the U.S. indefinitely, far from family.

Their reaction made me reflect deeply. What I wanted wasn’t permanent separation, it was the education, work experience, and cultural growth that America had given me, the global cultural perspectives I had the opportunity to learn. I didn’t necessarily want to settle permanently. I wanted to take what I learned and bring it home.

Returning to China: A New Chapter

By 2025, I had spent a full decade in the U.S., age 18 to 28, the years that shape who we become. Returning home, I brought back more than just my two degrees. I brought skills, confidence, and a global mindset. I understood more about Western business practices. I developed analytic and presentation skills.

Today, I work with Chinese high schools, helping students plan their educational futures. I also support private schools in recruiting students through market research. These are opportunities that exist because of what I learned in the U.S. through my work at Intead. My American journey gave me the knowledge and credibility to build my career at home.

My Message to Policymakers

This is why the US international student policy changes I read about are so painful. They threaten to close the open doors that changed my life. America’s strength has always been its openness to global talent. International students don’t just take, they contribute. We pay tuition, support local economies, enrich classrooms with diverse perspectives, and more often than not return home to build bridges between the U.S. and the world.

To be specific, for 10 years, beyond tuition payments, I went grocery shopping weekly, paid monthly rent for my apartment in each of the cities I lived in, and in Boston, I bought a used car, which required gas and maintenance. Of course, there were other daily living expenses, including going out with friends to meals and events.

I am living proof of the contributions and cultural ties international students represent. I came as a teenager who barely spoke English. I left as an adult who has co-authored research, advised universities, presented on stage at international conferences, and helped build bridges between countries. My work supported increased student mobility between countries.

If U.S. policymakers truly want to strengthen their nation, they must protect and expand, not restrict, the opportunities that make stories like mine possible.

Ten Years, A Lifetime of Lessons

From Nebraska classrooms to Boston boardrooms, from struggling with accents to presenting at global conferences, my decade in America has been the most formative period of my life. I owe much of who I am today to the opportunities provided by U.S. education and its policies that welcomed international students.

I urge leaders to remember: behind every policy decision are thousands of young people like me, whose lives and futures will strengthen the US economy and global economic clout. Currently, almost half (46%) of American powerhouse companies in the Fortune 500 were founded by U.S. immigrants or their children, companies like Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Apple, NVIDIA, Costco, DoorDash. These and other similar companies employ more than 15M people worldwide and represented more than $8.6T in revenue in 2024. (source: American Immigration Council)

Let’s work together to ensure the next decade of students can look back with the same gratitude I feel today. Together, we will watch the U.S. strengthen its global role as a leader in innovation, arts, technology, medicine, and finance.