Feeding the World in the 21st Century Lecture Series

March 5, 2013

Feeding the World in the 21st Century

The Global Affair Center (GAC) which is a part of the International Education Office organized a lecture series during the month of February. This symposium focused on global food and farming issues. Speakers consisted of people from various organizations and professors from different schools. These events are free and open to the Shoreline community. Many students, staff, faculty and community members attended the events.

One of the lectures I attended was on agricultural development in Africa. Two people from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation came to our campus to discuss the opportunities and challenges of African agriculture. I am very interested in the topic because my major at Seattle University was International Studies and my minor was Global African Studies. I have learned and done research about farming and food aid in Africa. I thought that the lecture was interesting and informative. The speakers discussed crops, families and farming, food aid, food markets etc. They also presented statistics (graphs, pictures, charts) to help the audience understand the issues. People asked several questions and even stayed afterward to talk to the speakers.

These events are often extra credit for students (they will receive extra points for their class). So it is a great way to receive extra credit and learn something valuable!

Symposium

Meet International Peer Mentors 2012-13

January 31, 2013

The International Peer Mentors (IPMs) are current international students who are here to welcome and introduce you to the vibrant campus life of Shoreline Community College. You’ll see them at Orientation, other special events, and usually whenever you visit the International Education office.

Vimol Mok – Cambodia

Welcome to Shoreline! My name is Vimol, and I’m very excited to be an International Peer Mentor this year! I know you are very excited about coming to explore a new world. Shoreline Community College has a variety of programs and resources that have been helping me to achieve my academic goals of Associate in Sciences. My professors are very supportive in assisting me to build my fundamental skills in American education. Shortly after I arrived here, I realized that there were many activities I could be involved in. During my first quarter, I joined clubs and participated in many enjoyable events that Shoreline offered. These activities helped me to learn about my fellow students and the surrounding community. I like how Shoreline has many friendly students from different countries which given me opportunity for me to learn about global education as well as cultural differences. You will explore and experience many things here, since we have numerous extra-curricular activities on campus to help you to feel connected. I would love to have you as a part of our Shoreline family. Please stop by and ask me any questions you might have. We hope to see you soon!

Davin Utama – Indonesia

Hello everyone, my name is Davin. I came to Shoreline in Fall 2011, and I’m currently majoring in nursing. Coming to Shoreline Community College is the best decision I made in my life. Being a student at the SCC campus is very enriching mainly because of the good opportunities to meet new people from different cultural backgrounds. You will feel comfortable to study inside the campus with great facilities provided by the campus to finish your assignments. Moreover, I like the staffs inside the SCC campus that are very helpful and friendly to the students. I feel this place not just a place for study, but for you to improve your academic skills and reach your goals as an international student. As an IPM I welcome you to become a part of SCC, hoping you to have a great time and wish you all the best.

Michelle Wu – Indonesia

Hello everyone! I hope you all are feeling excited about coming to Shoreline Community College! I am sure that you did not make a wrong decision to come here. I have gained an immeasurable amount of knowledge and experience since I came here in Winter 2012. SCC offers me variety of opportunities and resources to accomplish my personal goals. I love the fun events that are hosted almost every month. It always motivates me to become an active student on campus! There’s always something to do! SCC’s diverse population also has given me the opportunities to make friends with students from other countries and get to know about different cultures. Knowing them makes me feel like I’m traveling around the world. I hope that you will gain similar experience like I did! I know that choosing a school is not an easy decision to make. Even so, as an IPM, I am more than happy to help you to achieve a wonderful college life. SCC’s friendly staff and faculty will also be there to kindly help you with any difficulties. I am looking forward to meeting you all! Don’t forget to say hi when you pass me by.

Sayaka Iida – Japan

Hello everyone, my name is Sayaka Iida. I came to Shoreline in the Fall of 2011. When I came here for the first time, I was very worried about my college life because I could not speak English very well but many other international students could speak fluently. Also, I did not have any friends at that time and did not know who I was able to trust. But many of the students and staffs were very friendly and good people, so feel free to ask for help anytime. Though I still struggle with homesickness and English, SCC gives you many opportunities to join clubs, events, and do volunteer work. Those chances can enhance your school life, English skills, and help you accomplish your dreams. So be active! Don’t hesitate! Don’t be afraid of making mistakes! Please feel free to come and talk to me if you have questions or troubles. I will help you anytime. I am looking forward to meeting all of you on the SCC campus.

Kenneth Sze – Hong Kong

Hello everyone, my name is Kenneth and I come from Hong Kong. I am currently majoring in electrical engineering. Studying abroad is one of the best experiences I have ever had. I first came to Shoreline Community college in Fall 2011 and I met a lot of great teachers which helped me to become more interested in studying. Although you may feel homesick when you first come to Shoreline, don’t worry about it since all the faculty and students in SCC will make you feel like you are part of the Shoreline family. Also, there are a lot of great resources and opportunities for you to explore your interests. Also, SCC provides a great learning environment so that you can be successful in your college life. As an International Peer Mentor, I am excited to meet with you in the coming school year. Please feel free to talk with me or ask me any questions if you see me around campus. I hope you all will have a great time studying at SCC.

Transfer Fair 2012!

November 1, 2012

Over 90 universities and colleges from all over the U.S. were here at Shoreline on Monday! Representatives from these schools participated in our transfer fair which happens every year. This fair gives international students the opportunity to meet and speak with a representative from the school they are interested in transferring to. Students get to ask questions about admissions, different majors, campus life etc…

Vimol – an international student who has been studying at SCC for one year – is interested in transferring to a university to study nursing. She attended the transfer fair and said, “I learned a lot about the requirements different schools have for admission. I also learned about the competitiveness of the schools I want to apply to, all of the information that I received will allow me to compare schools”. Vimol is particularly interested in several schools in California. She was able to walk up to different booths and grab brochures, sign up on email lists to receive more information in the future and talk to the representatives. She said, “I had the chance to talk to a lot of California schools as well as the University of Washington, it was very helpful for me”.

The transfer fair is a great opportunity for international students and as Vimol expressed,

“we get to explore all of the transfer possibilities”. 

Some schools that were present are:

–          University of Washington

–          UC Berkeley

–          UC Davis

–          Indiana University Purdue University

–          Seattle University

–          UC San Diego

–          University of San Francisco

–          Columbia College

–          Arizona State University

–          State University of New York Buffalo

Please click on the picture below to see some pictures from the fair!

Japanese Festival

November 1, 2012

The students of the Hospitality and Tourism College (HTC) program at SCC organized the annual Japanese Festival. This cultural event is enjoyed by all students, staff and faculty members. We all enjoyed playing traditional games, trying on kimonos, making origami and having our names painted in beautiful Japanese calligraphy.

I really appreciated this event because I learned about some aspects of Japanese culture. I especially liked watching the students writing names in Japanese calligraphy. It looked really hard to do but the HTC students made it look effortless!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

October 31, 2012

Halloween is a popular holiday in the U.S. Common Halloween activities include wearing costumes, carving pumpkins, trick-or-treating, visiting haunted houses, watching scary movies etc… The IPMs worked with the Student Leadership Center and held a Halloween party for all students yesterday. There was a DJ playing music, different games, a costume and pumpkin carving contest. So many students came dressed in their fun costumes. Some of the costumes I saw were: Pikachu, Dorothy (from Wizard of Oz), vampires, Snow White, pirates, cow, tiger and many more! The students also got in groups and worked together to carve pumpkins. I think the best part was all of the students dancing! At one point, there was even a big circle and a few students at a time would get in the middle and perform their best dance moves! Most students have been spending hours studying for upcoming midterms so this was a good and much needed break.

Please click on the picture below to view pictures from the night!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN FROM MEMBERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION STAFF!

Club Kickoff

October 30, 2012

Yesterday was the club kick-off! Shoreline has over 50 student clubs and many of them were in the cafeteria to talk about their clubs and how students can join. Some clubs that were present are:

the Science Club, Indonesian Fellowship, Soccer Club, African Student Club, Student Government, the Manufacturing Club, SCC Philosophy Club etc.

Davin, a current International Peer Mentor, attended the event to talk to students about the IPMs. Please read about his experience below!

The club kickoff is an event produced by SCC to show all students the clubs on our campus. People who participated in the event include: club members, club organizers and students. Students are able to find out about different clubs and they can sign up to become a member of the clubs that match their hobbies and interests.

Each club has to set up a table with information and materials related to their club. Most of the clubs made a poster with pictures and a description about their purpose and activities they coordinate. I was at the IPM table which was set up with a poster describing our club and what we do. We also had sign-up sheets for future events which students could volunteer at. We were asked a lot of questions mainly about the different events we plan, how to join, ways to volunteer etc… Students were really enthusiastic and interested in our club. We even had 6 pages of students who signed up to be volunteers!

There were also a lot of other clubs students were interested in such as SLC (student leadership center), Science Club, Make Stuff Club, Hong Kong Student Allianceand much more. This event definitely encourages students to become more active on campus and to create relationships among students and between clubs.

~ Davin (current IPM)

ISOP FALL 2012!!

October 4, 2012

Orientation was great!

We had 258 new students!! ISOP was 5 days and students took placement tests, met with advisors, registered for classes and made new friends. Orientation ended with a tour of Seattle. We went to:

– Seattle Center (home of the Space Needle)

– Pike Place Market (downtown Seattle)

– Westlake Center (shopping center)

– Uwajimaya (supermarket with a variety of Asian groceries and gifts)

– Alki Beach!

I really enjoyed meeting and talking with new students! It was so interesting hearing what the new students thought about Seattle so far. Please check out some of my favorite pictures!!

Click here to view slideshow!

Graduation!

August 17, 2012

On June 10th, over 50 international students graduated from Shoreline!! The ceremony was held on-campus and was followed by a reception. The International Education staff attended graduation and we spent the afternoon taking pictures, talking with students and eating cake! It was great seeing the students’ families and friends here at Shoreline to celebrate this accomplishment.

So where are these students going?! Several students are transferring to the University of Washington right here in Seattle!  Many other students are transferring to amazing universities such as: University of Southern California (USC), Pennsylvania (Penn) State University, UC San Diego and Indiana University. We are so proud of all the graduates and are excited for them to start their new experiences!

Meet SCC’s Student Body President: GUN

July 27, 2012

1. Tell us a little about yourself 

Hi there, my name is Kanpong Thaweesuk. I go shortly by “Gun”. I am from Thailand, and my nickname is actually more meaningful than a firearm. It means “together” in Thai. So, I am not harmful, but friendly and outgoing. I came to Shoreline Community College in Spring 2010, majoring in business (transfer degree). I enjoy playing guitar, listening to music, and travelling.

2. Why did you choose to study at Shoreline?

I chose Shoreline because I like the green environment at the college. After looking at pictures of Shoreline, I was attracted to all of the trees (there are lots!) and the facilities.

3. How have you gotten involved on campus?

I have been extensively involved on the SCC campus. I worked as an International Peer Mentor (IPM) in 2010-2011. As an IPM, I was assigned to support new and continuing international students. Other IPMs and I organized quarterly events and activities/events and advocated on their behalf. In my second year (2011-2012), I was elected for the Student Body President. I got the opportunity to help serve over 10,000 students at the college as well as manage the student budget (over $1.5 million!). Being an IPM and now the Student Body President, I have discovered my passion which is serving others. Therefore, I decided to stay at Shoreline one more year and continue serving Shoreline students as the Student Body President in 2012-2013.

4. What have you learned from your experience at Shoreline?

My study abroad experience has truly been valuable for me. Shoreline is a great place to learn. I have gained knowledge at SCC from the many supportive, well-educated, and passionate teachers. I am also developing skills from learning opportunities outside of classroom. The campus community have been supportive in allowing me to gain practical experiences. I have learned to grow by taking actions out of my comfort zone which has given me skills and experiences that are priceless.

5. What is your favorite class that you have taken?

Multicultural Communication (CMST203). I learned about power, privilege and difference which are concepts that impact everyone on a daily basis.

6. What advice would you give future students?

If a student is seeking to learn and grow, I would suggest that you come to Shoreline with a will to learn. After your arrival, you remind yourself about the eagerness and the will that you have, and stay out of your comfort zone. Then, I am sure that you will grow much more than you might expect, because you will receive a lot of support here at Shoreline.