Theoretical framework

Transition Theory has been posited as a framework for understanding individuals’ coping with significant life changes or transitions. These transitions can include going to college, starting a new job, moving to a new city, starting a family as well as non-events-changes that do not occur [40]. Bridges’ Model of Transition [41] makes a lexical case between the meanings of change and transition that can generate pronounced transformative moments in one’s life. Bridges defines change as an external force that happens to people, usually without warning, and defines transition as the internalized psychological shift in processing information at a gradual pace. This suggests variable levels of personal control in relation to change and the consequent individual impact. Piaget’s and Vygotsky’s theories of human development detail that while some changes and transitions are expected, others may be less so. The proposition is that application of the model can provide a framework to help individuals as well as organisations deal with any personal emotional challenges associated with change. In the case of the pandemic, the model fits well since the advent of the pandemic led to enforced changes in the field of student mobility. Therefore, personal control in relation to decision-making was limited, in contrast to the managed change associated with moving abroad to study pre-pandemic. Even though Schlossberg’s transition theory mode [40] is primarily focused on adult transitions [42, 43], it provides a broader overview of transition. In her theory, the transition process includes changes that are anticipated, such as those faced in the context of students deciding to participate in international exchange in a new cultural environment. Thus, it as resonance when exploring the changes international students experienced. Unlike Bridges model, Schlossberg’s transition model states that transition can happen in response to any event, anticipated or unanticipated, as well as in response to a non-event that results in changed relationships, routines, assumptions, and/or roles. Schlossberg’s Theory also emphasizes how perception impacts one’s personal and proactive success during a transition [40].

Transition theory can thus be used to frame the challenge or the navigation process students may face as they adapt to a new education setting. It is not uncommon for students to experience an uncomfortable liminal space of uncertainty in a novel learning environment [44, 45]. Land et al. [8] noted that the transition into higher education after secondary school involves an inevitable process of unlearning, learning and transition, constituting an individual journey in and through higher education. Schlossberg [46] regards this phase as Moving In, Moving Through and Moving Out. Unlearning can be a particularly difficult process as students are expected to encounter ideas that may go against what they have always known to be true [47, 48], which makes self-reflection an integral part of the psychological change/transition process as it allows one to move from experiencing a situation to attempt to understand it [49, 50], with the transition being viewed as subjective [23, 51]. Notably, it explores the psychological experiences individuals undergo when transitioning from one developmental life cycle to another, such as the process of transition that international students encountered when moving from the anticipated in-country experience to online learning during the pandemic.

A criticism of Schlossberg’s theory (which includes her 4S’s model of coping: Situation, Self, Support and Strategies) is that it does not emphasize the social and cultural experiences associated with dealing with change [52]. It also focuses on a Westernised definition of coping that does not reflect a diverse population of learners [53, 54]. Wood et al. [55] noted that transitions into adulthood are more likely to be sensitive to social status, outside forces, and peer relationships and have heightened emotional responses as the desire to belong to groups is prominent. Moreover, cultural differences exist in how people cope with stressful situations, so the coping strategies available in the transition to higher education may not be universally applicable [56, 57]. Social and cultural factors, such as gender, race, class, and other forms of identity, can significantly impact how people experience and navigate transitions [58, 59]. Accordingly, insight into the individual lived experience of international students during the pandemic can inform future global mobility and exchange programs to facilitate transition when faced with ambiguous situations, extending Schlossberg’s theory into a broader social and cultural space.

Design and participants

In-depth interviews were conducted in the Spring of 2021 as part of a research project conducted for a PhD thesis of the first author. Ten-question prompts (see Interview Script Prompts abridged version) enabled participants to recall how they navigated the transition to a different learning environment during the pandemic. Interview questions were specifically devised for this study informed by transition theory and study abroad literature as well as practitioner-orientated conversations and observations made by the first author during the early stages of the pandemic. Ryan and Deci’s (2006) [70] Self-Determination Theory also guided the development of these questions, specifically the aspect of autonomy.

Interview script prompts abridged version

• What events led to your decision to study abroad in the host country? Can you describe them?
• What did you imagine that Study Abroad would have been like in the host location?
• What experience(s) motivated you to go to college/university in the first place?
• Have you decided to go abroad on a full Virtual Exchange program or a part-time Virtual Exchange? How did you make that decision?
• Can you remember a time when you worked with people from another culture? Please describe how you felt during that time.

The next few questions concern moments that were noticeable or important in both a traditional classroom setting and Virtual Exchange classroom settings

• Are there moments that stand out in your experience of a Virtual Exchange classroom setting?
• What interactions have you had with other participants in the Virtual Exchange classroom?
• What interactions have you had with the facilitator of your Virtual Exchange classroom program?
• What advice would you give to someone who is planning to embark on a Virtual Exchange program?

Interview prompts included

• Can you describe the feeling for me?
• Why was that important to you?
• What do you mean by that?
• Can you think of a moment that stood out in the process for you?

Participants

Participants were recruited through three channels: social media (e.g., the Facebook group forum for the School for International Training), written communication (that prompted the research project to several Study Abroad offices in the US and Europe), and snowballing (which asked confirmed participants if they would share the Social Media Call or post within their social circles). The sample was purposive in that participants had to be either degree seekers or study abroad students enrolled at an international higher education university program during the pandemic. A ‘degree-seeker’ is defined as someone who has obtained or is in the process of obtaining a formal degree at a host institution different from their country of origin, and ‘study abroad’ is defined as a university student studying at a host institution at some point during their formal education while receiving credits at their home institution. Participants included those able to study abroad in a traditional program in Fall 2019 and transitioned online in Spring 2020, those enrolled in hybrid or blended programs that combined in-person programming with online programming and those unable to begin their traditional mobility programs abroad, so the experience was entirely virtual. Using this approach, thirteen undergraduate and postgraduate international students, consisting of 9 females and 4 males from across four continents (North America, South America, Europe and Asia) who self-selected to participate in the study Table 1.

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Table 1. Profile of participants—international students and demographics.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0308134.t001

Procedure and data collection

Semi-structured qualitative interviews served as a means of data collection. Participant Consent Forms were provided to participants and once returned, a copy of the Interview Script-Prompts was emailed to participants. Each interview was conducted using the Interview Schedule and the prompt questions (see Interview Script Prompts abridged version in the previous section). Theories of self-determination, motivation, and transition informed the interview questions, and two pilot interviews helped shape the question’s order and means of delivery. The pilot studies allowed the first author to become familiar with the overall flow of questions. They also provided an avenue to practice the pattern and speed of speech and Microsoft TEAMS was adopted. Using Microsoft TEAMS, thirteen audio/video interviews spanning between 30 and 90 minutes were conducted and recorded online with students who participated in degree seeker/study abroad programs between Fall 2019 and Spring 2021. Data saturation, commonly used in qualitative research, is described as the point at which the researcher feels no new information or themes may emerge [71, 72]. Francis et al. [73] noted that the sample size of participants depended on many factors, and there is no ‘right’ size. However, Smith et al. [74], posit that eight is the suggested number of respondents for saturation using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, in recognition that this form of qualitative research can be rigorous and time-consuming. In relation to this study, the first author chose to interview all subjects who volunteered to participate noting that this went beyond what Smith et al. [74] proposed saturation threshold.

Interviews were transcribed, and in line with the Interview Transcript Review process, participants were given copies of the transcripts to allow them validation and alleviate power dynamics, giving participants a choice in what was shared [75].

Participants were given a week to review the transcript, then the first author began the analysis if the participant noted no further comments or concerns. Transcripts were redacted in areas that identified students’ specific geographic locations and excessive filler words were removed. The analysis took several months during which the transcripts were read, listened to and reflected upon several times in an iterative process, which is in line with the IPA method.

The first author had to be mindful of her role in the research process, as she has been a practitioner in the field of international education for more than a decade and was herself an international master’s student at the start of the pandemic before becoming an international PhD candidate. Participants had prior knowledge of her international student status. However, they were only sensitised to her International Education Professional Experience if it specifically arose as a topic during the interview. The practice of reflexivity and compartmentalisation was thus key during the collection and analysis of the data [76]. For that, the first author kept a bulleted journal and received support in confronting assumptions by dialoguing this with the research team thus helping to keep the focus on the participants’ voices.

Data analysis

Smith, Flowers, & Larkin [74] provide a 1–6 step guide to how to conduct an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. This allowed the participant’s lived experiences in their personal and social environments during the pandemic to be explored Table 2 and enabled greater reflexivity on the part of the first author.

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Table 2. Guide to IPA–a flexible guide to the use of Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0308134.t002

For example, using an excerpt from the transcript of participant IS-13, the first author placed completed transcripts into a table thus allowing the researcher to bracket personal thoughts and emotions when analysing Table 3 The transcribed interview was placed in the centre of the table as a reminder to keep the individual participant at the centre of the analysis. The transcripts were placed into numbered sections, and that section of the transcript was reviewed. This adopted structure enabled comments to be placed in both the Emerging Themes section and the Reflections section. Steps one to five (see Table 2) involved reviewing participants’ transcripts and diligently and repeatedly listening to the audio recordings.

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Table 3. Transcript excerpt from IS-13 as an example of IPA.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0308134.t003

The Findings and Discussion section articulates the outcomes from Step 6, ’Looking for patterns across cases’.

Findings and discussion

Four primary meaning units and four secondary meaning units were identified. The four primary meaning units were: Functioning in Ambiguity, The Importance of Language and Culture, Reshaping Community and Alternate Experiences in Intercultural Connectivity Table 4.Of the secondary meaning units, the elaboration of Space has been the focus of this manuscript due to the prevalence of this meaning unit in the data and its linkage to Schlossberg’s Transition Theory. This research used the categories of primary meaning units as it provided an overview of the meanings derived directly from the participants’ responses. The secondary meaning units in this research are connected to the first primary meaning unit, "Functioning in Ambiguity: Personal and Informational Uncertainty. These secondary meaning units served to organize the broader topic of uncertainty using an existential lens to understand the participants’ lived experiences. To support the organization of the participants’ quotes, Ruonan & Al-Shaibani [77]’s process of using Excerpt 1, 2, and so on was adopted. Notably, the meaning units were interrelated (i.e., can be categorized under more than one primary meaning unit), which is also addressed below.

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Table 4. Primary and secondary meaning units.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0308134.t004

Functioning in ambiguity

The participants expressed experiencing different types of uncertainty, at times simultaneously. These were related to informational (i.e., where information was missing to make an informed decision) or personal uncertainty (i.e., where individuals were aware of the information but unsure if they could perform the task themselves), as distinguished by Van den Bos [78]. For example, participants noted that rules seemed to change daily at the beginning of the pandemic, leaving them with a lack of information and thus unsure about the steps they needed to make in transitioning to a different way of life and virtual learning. An occurrence that Schlossberg calls an unexpected and unanticipated event.

Excerpt 1 ((IS-2)

“… my in-person exchange was cancelled … I could not redo an exchange later, so this had really been my last chance …Often your fellow students are still curious about you but making a connection with friendship in mind becomes more difficult behind a screen.”

The above quote also highlights that online connections were perceived as more challenging than in-person connections despite students’ desire to connect. The pandemic created informational and personal uncertainty that disrupted the acculturation and adjustment potential of traditional in-person study abroad experiences [79], as making online connections was perceived as more difficult for some participants. IS-8 was one of the students who began her program in the Fall of 2019. She discussed the difficulties of connecting with other students online, specifically when seeking information, as she felt physical proximity would have aided her understanding.

Excerpt 2 (IS-8)

“…in the class like we sit next to each other, and we can talk to each other freely, for example, when there is anything, I couldn’t understand, I can ask, right away, the person next to me what did he mean or what do you think about this? Also, there were a lot more interaction among us but in the online class there’s more interaction between the students toward the teacher but there weren’t many chances for the students to interact, to communicate with each other.”

Through the lens of Schlossberg’s theory, it could be perceived that the unanticipated pandemic brought an unexpected dynamic to the teacher-student relationship; however, it also disrupted the student-to-student relationships that might have otherwise occurred in a pre-pandemic traditional classroom. Thus, resulting in another unanticipated change in transitioning to the perceived ambiguity of the virtual classroom.

The secondary meaning unit ‘Space’ is of particular interest because of its dominance in the data and the physical contact restrictions that were in place in each of the participants’ host countries. The spaces where participants interacted and learned from one another changed into more socially isolated environments. It could be concluded that lockdown and social distancing detracted from the social contact enrichment element that is otherwise an integral part of international mobility programs [22]. However, at the beginning of the pandemic, some participants attempted to navigate opportunities for visibility in their new learning spaces whenever possible.

For example, IS-2 reported how she developed strategies that modified the situation.

Excerpt 3 (IS-2)

“I started facilitating …student interaction myself, asking people questions, and slowly making friends. Often, I’d talk with people …in private chats or we’d hang out more in feedback sessions … Showing your face can really help, as you become more of “a person” to people, therefore easier to interact with.”

IS-7 had a similar experience and decided to be ’seen’

Excerpt 4 (IS-9)

“I would turn on my camera …that would feel nice. It would feel like a cozy safe space in my opinion … especially when you’re put into breakout rooms and just sit with your teammates and then the lecturer comes in and he has his camera on, and we all have our cameras on. In my opinion, that was nice.”

Initially, international students in this study displayed a degree of flexibility, optimism, and resilience in adjusting to the new virtual learning environment and expressed a desire to exhibit their individuality. The ‘being seen’ element was initiated by some of the international students; however, a number ultimately adopted the methods used by domestic students in their courses, including turning off their cameras and using the chat function.

Excerpt 5 (IS-11)

“…I did in the beginning [chat and video], but then I, you know, I just became tired because no one was doing it, and then it’s pretty weird because it’s obviously not the same feeling cause you’re not seeing each other’s eyes and you don’t really know if they’re laughing at you or you know, like, are they fully listening to you.”

As evidenced in this section, visual (seeing others on camera) and verbal communication was a strategy that the participants perceived as helping to create an inclusive virtual learning environment and aided in the transition process by filling the void of a lack of physical connection. Dryden et al. [80] indicated that language barriers and consequentially cultural differences amplify emotional insecurities, such as feelings of isolation when first faced with a new environment.

The importance of language and culture

The use of language was vital for participants’ understanding of their host countries and cultures and for connecting the two.

Excerpt 6 (IS-2)

“It was very funny ’cause when they started talking the first week, I couldn’t understand them ’cause some of them had like the biggest [Host Country] accents I’ve ever heard.” [laughing]

IS-6 had a similar experience but as a native English speaker.

Excerpt 7 (IS-6)

“I didn’t have to learn [Host Language] cause their English is absolutely phenomenal. Like sometimes they’re saying things that I don’t even understand. I’m like what’s going on here. [Laughing]

One’s cultural identity can be deeply rooted in language proficiency and an enabler in establishing one’s self-identity [81]. For some people, practice and fluency in the target language while abroad is a source of laughter; for others, it is a source of frustration [82]. The primary meaning unit of ‘Functioning in Ambiguity’ is also present in language usage, as described by IS-3 and her temporary loss of self-confidence in language proficiency.

Excerpt 8 (IS-3)

“I was very scared about not understanding the English I was like; oh my God is my English good enough? Am I gonna be able …to follow? Am I going to be able to write essays?”

The participants in this current study were diverse in their language and cultural understanding; four were native English speakers, and nine were additional English speakers. Although the first two participants found humour in their language discrepancies, it took a little longer for IS-3 as she expressed a keen sense of anxiety concerning being surrounded by a new language and cultural community. Her apprehension of being understood and making connections with others was deeply rooted in how she felt about herself.

Excerpt 9 (IS-3)

“(I was) Scared, completely homesick and very lonely. I started to make friends, but I didn’t feel specifically connected to anyone. That only went away when I actually, met a friend from [Home Country] and then that changed. I think because I needed at that point, I needed a connection from someone from home, anyone.

These findings thus expand on Schlossberg’s work in that transition may be complemented by a more nuanced globalized perspective on communication norms when entering a new cultural community. It is essential to understand these cultural differences in order to communicate effectively across cultures [83].

Exposure to the host countries’ language is also an important part of the international student experience when studying abroad [84]. During the pandemic, many participants were isolated from hearing the host language (as the chat-box was predominantly used). The restrictions also reduced informal contact and impromptu interactions with other international students. Other international students are often a primary source of practising host communication skills as conversing with host country locals can feel uncomfortable [85]. The opportunities to engage in activities supporting language development were felt to be more limited; as reiterated in the Functioning in Ambiguity section, the spaces in which they would traditionally interact were altered. It is of note that participants attempted to construct interactive opportunities within their scope of space to help connect with their learning communities.

IS-7 demonstrated the essence of a non-event in her quote below. She had anticipated and planned for an experience to expand her individual growth opportunities and build new connections. However, the pandemic reduced her initial excitement about engaging in the study abroad activity into one of disappointment.

Excerpt 10 (IS-7)

“… it was kind of awkward over zoom … I was looking forward to … getting to meet people and getting to … make friends with people that aren’t …directly from my social networks. So, that kind of sucked cause it was very limited …being able to talk and meet with each other.”

IS-11 also looked forward to interacting with people outside his existing social network. Although he was able to attend his program abroad, he had more restricted opportunities to experience the language and cultural immersion of his host community.

Excerpt 11 (IS-11)

“I only had the chance to speak with two or three people that were living in my flat …at the same time we didn’t talk much because one was really …Covid risky …they didn’t take much risk about going outside of the room and then the second one, we did talk a bit, but we didn’t have much in common.”

The challenge of international students entering a new language environment is a documented phenomenon in studying abroad [86]. However, Covid restrictions and the move to virtual spaces meant that participants lacked the opportunity to practice social and adaptive skills in their new language and cultural environments.

Reshaping of community

International students, like first-year university students, are trying to find their place in an unfamiliar communal learning space [87]. As emerging adults in this context, it can be expected that they were trying to find a sense of self and how they might fit into the social world [e.g., 55]. Unlike first-year university students, who often start in cohorts, this study’s participants were sometimes the only new enrolment on a study stage as they began their exchange experiences at different points before, during and beyond the initial pandemic announcement.

Participants who began their international programs in the Fall of 2019 as degree-seeking or study abroad reported that they had built face-to-face relationships before delivery moved online. These pre-pandemic relationships provided a sense of community, enabling them to work more effectively in the virtual classroom. This sense of community and the effective use of online learning tools were interdependent in the students’ experiences. The value of community contacts emerged in the students’ narratives as these supports enabled bouts of positive transition.

Excerpt 12 (IS-5)

“… We were a few people; we were like 10 to 11 people … We all turned on our cameras and it was nice. Yeah, because we knew each other so we felt comfortable”

Excerpt 13 (IS-7)

“…as the course continued, probably like a month or so …we had like a group chat and we were like talking more, you know, like making jokes as like anyone does in [a normal] classes, just trying to get along throughout the course …”

Students in the first group, who had begun studying abroad before the pandemic, stated that after their first semester in their host countries, they felt more comfortable in their new communities, which led them to feel less apprehensive going into Spring 2020. IS-6 used the word ‘chaotic’ on several occasions when describing his experiences abroad but tended to use it positively when discussing his adjustment period.

Excerpt 14 (IS-6)

“I felt like I was [a part of Host culture] … You should see how chaotic it is (riding a bike in host country’s “massive cycling culture”) …honestly, it’s absolutely nuts … because of the chaos it was kind of fun to be in that atmosphere quiet, like, chaotic atmospheres.” [Laughing]

IS-12 also stated that her level of comfort had increased at the start of her second semester abroad but expressed a sense of disappointment at the onset of the pandemic.

Excerpt 15 (IS-12)

“The Spring semester, crushed dreams, [Laughing]… [start of Spring 2020] we knew everything by that point. We knew how the school system worked. We knew a lot of the lecturers and we knew our way around the city. We were settled and it was so nice. It felt like another level of freedom …you’re still in a new place, but it doesn’t seem strange anymore. It feels like you are part of the community …”

IS-1 had established in-person connections with her classmates in the Fall of 2019, therefore she was able to draw on these prior connections in the virtual space, albeit with some adjustments.

Excerpt 16 (IS-1)

“… I know my classmates really well; we bonded really well. We were actually friends …I was able to go online and you’re going to breakout rooms, we would talk just …you know with each other, and we would run jokes and we can open a document and Google Doc shared and do our work, you know and present together. We found a way, you know, to present our work …do it together …”

There were three Summer 2020 participants were from military communities and were the only ones who participated in a language-based program that was entirely virtual prior to the commencement of their core program. One of the participants described the difficulty she faced with learning a new language online and making connections with her peers on the program.

Excerpt 17 (IS-4)

“Honestly, online it was a little awkward at first because like we just went on to the zoom and then like the teacher just ended it and then we like, nobody had time to exchange contact information over the first like week and a half. We kind of just logged off and left, until somebody finally like, made a group chat. But then we became friends cause we talked a lot, but it was rough.”

While these three participants came from different military branches, they shared a common bond which may have been an impetus to support to one another. They worked together to complete their international program and, in turn, learned to build a new community. For IS-12 being needed by and supporting others enabled her to develop new communities.

Excerpt 18 (IS-12)

“I started volunteering at a cafe for women to help them with mental health …we talk about everything. I started volunteering there and it was mostly because I started to notice how a lot of people are actually struggling because of Covid….I met a lot of different people there and it felt good …I don’t think anyone sees as many people as I see in a week [laughing] because I also work at a gym for elderly women … it’s a community, everyone knows each other.”

Operating in a safe communal environment can build internal self-determination and resilience. This has been noted to be present in internationally mobile students [45, 88]. It is in this communal environment that shared knowledge and intercultural structures can be practised and built, especially in the case of international students as they navigated new learning environments in ‘normal’ circumstances prior to the pandemic, as discussed by Wu et al. [89] and Taylor & Ali, [6]. Due to the pandemic, traditional methods of community building were restricted. However, most participants reported that they were able to reshape their understanding of what community meant to them. Various dynamics were involved in reshaping communities between participants of this study.

Participants who had previously experienced traditional education abroad, such as travelling from home to the host country and physically interacting with peers, appeared to more easily transition to the online community. This insight could have relevance to higher education communities as hybrid/blended programs emerge from pandemic course structures. Pandemic-associated ambiguity, cultural misunderstandings, and reestablishing a community online may not have been the optimal scenario for a successful international education experience. However, students found new ways of adapting to change during a period of personal and informational uncertainty.

Alternate experiences in intercultural interconnectivity

Feelings of frustration concerning not being able to have the perceived full experience of spending time outside one’s home country were expressed repeatedly. Particularly strong was the notion of a loss of cultural experiences, showing that intercultural opportunities are an underlying motivation for studying abroad, as evidenced in the two examples below:

Excerpt 19 (IS-3)

“It’s not just going to the [classes], it’s also being able to explore the city you’re in. That was one of the most beautiful things for me. Being able to explore restaurants in the street and the people and nature. If you cannot do that, or if you’re afraid to do that either for your own safety or for the laws that the country you’re in has …it doesn’t give you the whole experience.”

Excerpt 20 (IS-13)

“If I was actually in [Host Country]? I think I would actually be able to experience it, taste the food or take part in cultural activities and like actually talk to the people that live there.”

IS-13’s reference to her desire to interact with the host community on more than just a cursory level returns the reader to the premise that cultural understanding is a crucial component of the

communicative experiences that one can associate with, being a part of the social world.

During the pandemic, many of us were forced to confront uncertainty. This process, while challenging, also presented an opportunity for personal and professional growth. As Schlossberg [10] suggests, by reevaluating non-events, we can reimagine our future. This was particularly evident in the way individuals coped with their ability to be understood and cultivated a sense of community. These efforts not only required personal resilience but also provided a platform for reflecting on future career options.

One such example is IS-10, who expressed how he could envisage his future professional life based on his online study experience.

Excerpt 21 (IS-10)

“…. I think it’s how I see myself working in the future, either purely remotely or mostly remotely, just because of the practice [lockdown and virtual classes]. I now have this idea of what working from anywhere in the world would be like and I think that would align very well with working remotely because I don’t want to go to work every day.” [Laughing]

The facilitator ‐ student dynamic also played a role in building a new secure community where open dialogue was encouraged.

Excerpt 22 (IS-3)

“I really appreciated [facilitator] asked me directly…. ‘I think you’re the only international student that is doing this class, how are things for you? How are things at home? Can you leave, and for me that made all the difference’.”

Excerpt 23 (IS-10)

I’m really grateful that teachers …for the lectures themselves, they did try to do their best …I feel like everything has been really productive … the structure was followed and I find it really clear …, like to follow classes and work on the assessments and …still get in touch, despite that, I’m not actually, physically in classes.

Adjustments had to be made in the learning environment and a number of participants noted the importance of dialoguing with their facilitators and noted their assistance was essential to navigate an ambiguous time.