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Dear Husky,

Hello everyone, this is the application for the 2022-23 SAB Board. Thank you for applying for CIRCLE’s International Student Advisory Board (SAB). The SAB aims to provide a space where international students can:
-Share their international student experience and concerns
-Advocate for international student needs to inspire new programs and resources
-Gain leadership experience and a close community

Time commitment: We will have in-person/virtual meetings every week. The time for that will be decided based on the convenience of the selected board members.

Application closes on Monday, August 30th at 11:59 pm (PDT). Applications will then be reviewed and you will be further contacted with a time to interview. If you have any questions, please email sabchair@uw.edu

Apply Here

Applications open – May 4
Info session 1 – May 12 at 5-6 pm (https://washington.zoom.us/j/91591370715)
Info session 2 – May 16 at 4-5 pm (In person at 250 Schmitz Hall 1410 NE Campus Pkwy, Seattle, WA 98195)
Application Close – May 18
Interviews – May 23-27
Final Decisions – June 1

“Self-care” is typically used as a quick and easy fix to when we’re feeling stressed, burnt out, or lacking the motivation to do work, go to classes, and hang out with others.

However, it can be tricky to understand what “self-care” can include… Check out ways to practice self-care this winter quarter.

 

 

(Adopted from Deanna Zandt’s piece on self-care)

“I have the body, accent, and the face of Caucasian American, but I very much feel like an immigrant.”

Bryce is a Swiss-American born, where he grew up in Geneva, Switzerland. He grew up with American parents in a British Schooling systems in the Suisse-Romande (french-speaking region) of Switzerland. His  identity has been ubiquitous over the past 3 years, especially in the face of some of the challenges at UW, but he firmly identifies himself  as an Anglophone global Citizen!

Listen to Bryce’s journey in this episode!

“Am I Indian or am I American?”

Vikram was born in America, but grew up in India. He grew up speaking Hindi, watching Bollywood movies, and listening to Indian songs. By the time he came to the U.S to attend UW, he knew he was not American as his passport said, at least not culturally. However, this did not stop him. He decided to embrace both of his identities and went to play cards with his Saudi Arabian buddies, learn pick up lines from his Brazilian friends, and learn about different ethnic groups in East Africa from his Eritrean friend. He chose to grow and broaden his perspective by simple saying “hi” to a friend eating at Local Point food court.

Listen to his story to hear about his experience as a American citizen, spending most of his time in India and coming back to UW.

“I don’t want to go back to Seattle. Should I just stay in Rio? ”
That is what freshmen Luiz said, but not anymore. Though he struggled in the beginning  of his time at UW to find friends and a community, today Luiz has successfully has made UW his home. In this episode, Luiz takes us to his experience of being an international student at UW. We will hear his willingness to step out of his comfort zone to find friends, community, and a support system at UW.

Luiz Fernando Saade Porto spent his first 19 years of life in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and the last three and a half years in Seattle studying at UW.  Luiz is a senior studying Economics with a minor in Informatics and a passion for data science. At the university, he spent more than two years as part of Unite UW, a program that connects domestic and international students and that helped him find his community and home at UW. Some of his hobbies include hanging out with his housemates and friends, playing the bass guitar, hiking, traveling, and truly learning about different cultures by experiencing them.

Pum and Aries came to the U.S. in their freshman year for the first time and they were able to bond over their shared problems of finding a dorm to stay in. Both of them decided to join the Thai Student Association and were able to find a shared connection through their Thai culture. Thus, they both were able to expand their social circle through this shared experience, not just by joining the Thai Student Association, but also by exploring their interests and joining different clubs later on with local students. Their discomfort of going out of their comfort zone and trying new things was their currency for their growth.

For this episode, meet Tiffany Tian, an international student from Beijing, China. She is an undergraduate student majoring in Economic and ACMS at the University of Washington.

She is a strong young lady, who grew up in China and spent her high school experience in the U.S. Despite being one of the international students in her high school, she learned to embrace and represent herself by getting involved with different clubs and activities. Currently, she is the Vice President for the International Student Mentorship Program and WEGET magazine.

Her story resembles a strong leadership to represent international students at UW.

 

Listen to the beautiful story of Maha Alhomoud, an international student from Saudi Arabia and an undergraduate senior in Political Economy at the University of Washington.

She is a strong young lady, a cancer survivor of two years now and a passionate advocate for international student inclusion and representation. She has been involved with ASUW and the international student community for over a year now, and she is aiming to leave UW having established the first ASUW International Students Office of Advocacy and Engagement.

Her story resembles incredible resilience and determination to not let her blood cancer affect her and her studies at UW. Through her leadership, she advocates for many international students on the UW campus.

 

Ideas and insights from CIRCLE’s Student Success Coordinator Mary Kay Grossblatt

Welcome to the new quarter and new possibilities!

Although we find ourselves in challenging times right now, there are still opportunities to grow and learn. With the new quarter starting it is a good time to reflect on past experiences and apply that learning to prepare for future quarters. What strategies are working well and what do you want to change? Developing this reflective and adaptive process is an important skill that will benefit you in the future as you move through the UW to graduation and beyond. Listen to other students share about their past quarter experiences on our CIRCLE “In the Loop” podcast here.

As you prepare for Winter quarter, here are some tips to help you start strong:

1) Have a plan for your academics

How is your workspace? Now that we have been using our workspaces for some time, are there changes that you want to make? Consider posting inspiring quotes or special photos up in the area. Listen to other students share about how they set up their workspace here.

Time management is important! Use your planner and/or calendar to create needed structure to your days and weeks. Did you know that CIRCLE offers free peer coaching to help you improve your academic strategies like time management?

Keep improving your study strategies. Shorter, regular 1-2 hour study blocks are more helpful to retain information than less frequent, longer study times. Academic Support Programs has helpful tips for studying here. See what works for you and make changes as needed.

Connect with your TA’s and professors early in the quarter if you have any questions or challenges. Listen to recommendations on reaching out from two UW professors, Dr. Xiaosong Li and Dr. Megan Callow.

2) Add self-care activities to your daily routine

Creating daily routines is important when we are all working and studying remotely. Add in one or two daily self-care activities like brisk walks (if it is safe to do so), stretching or deep breathing exercises. Keeping a daily journal can be helpful and is also a way to document this unique time to remember once this time is long past.

3) Explore new ways to connect to community

Try out a new registered student organization (RSO), join CIRCLE Community Conversations or check out the new CIRCLE Discord platform coming in late January where you can join a virtual space and connect with students and CIRCLE programs. Hear a student’s perspective on the benefits of RSOs on this CIRCLE podcast.

4) Stay determined!

It is not an easy time right now to be a student, so stay strong and keep adapting. As we move along our academic and life paths, sometimes unexpected events come along and we need to reevaluate our goals and make changes, and that is normal. If you ever feel overwhelmed, know that it is important to ask for help and that is no reflection on your ability to be a good student. We are here to support your success as well as help you through any challenges you experience.

Throughout the quarter, please reach out to UW and CIRCLE resources, join our CIRCLE events or email us directly at uwcircle@uw.edu with any questions. We look forward to hearing from you.

Wishing you a happy, healthy, Husky winter quarter!

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To learn more about CIRCLE Student Success Coaching and Mary Kay’s work, visit the Student Success Coaching page.