International Student Highlight: Lauriina Heinonen

What is your name?
Lauriina Heinonen

What is your major?
Business & Management

What is your country of origin?
Finland

What is your class year?
2022

Can you tell us one interesting fact about your home country?
Finland is currently ranked the #1 happiest country in the world according to the latest UN report.

What is the strangest thing you have noticed about US culture?
Two things that always get me confused are the dollars and coins, which make no sense to me. Secondly writing dates in a bizarre order where the month comes before the date.

How are you involved on campus?
At the moment I am a member of Wheaton Synchro. I am an Admissions Ambassador. Member of the Wheaton Sustainability Board and currently I practice as a peer writing tutor in the library.

What is your favorite food?
Karjalanpiirakka (Finnish rice pies)

What is your favorite movie?
Any of the older James Bond 007 movies.

What is your favorite place in the US?
So many, but I used to live in Boston when I was younger, so Boston.

What do you miss about your home country?
Real rye bread, porridge and certain traditions.

What do you like about Wheaton?
The fact that opportunities are there for anyone who is just willing to take them and make the most of their time here.

What is your favorite place on campus to socialize?
Anywhere, which is why I enjoy the campus so much because you most likely will run into anyone at any given time.

What do you want others to know about your home country/culture?
Finland is the home of Santa Claus and in Finns love to Sauna. In Finland we have family leave, which means that the father is also able to take time off.

What is one thing you have learned about the US since being here (cultural concerns, history, etc)?
The abundance in choices and people are extremely social and talk much louder than in Finland.