Connect you with other new international Huskies in your region!
Regional Connection Groups (RCG) connect new international Huskies by region via social media groups. We have several RCG group chats in Wechat, WhatsApp, Kakao, Line and Instagram. Find and join your assigned RCG from your New Husky Checklist or from our RCG list linked below. Once you have joined the group successfully, a Peer Connection Leader (PCL) will be there to welcome you and guide you through the next steps.
2026 Regional connection groups
Sessions and Schedule
Throughout the summer, we will offer many Zoom sessions in small groups to help you learn about resources and tips to help you succeed and enjoy life at UW. Please review our program schedule for information on weekly sessions.
RCG Goals
RCG is designed to help new international students:
- Connect with other Huskies from the same area and create a community before arriving on campus
- Develop a college mindset that values communication and critical thinking
- Support your transition to UW every step of the way and help you build a support system for college success
- Have some fun!
Joining or Changing a Group
If you prefer a different chat app or would like to be added to another group, you will have the chance to do so by filling out a RCG Group Change/Add form.
Contact Information
If you have any questions, please email UW CIRCLE at uwcircle@uw.edu, or contact CIRCLE via the following social media platforms:
- WeChat ID: UWCIRCLE
- Line ID: uwcircle
- Kakao ID: uwcircle2020
- WhatsApp phone number: +1 206-665-9662
- Facebook Messenger: UW CIRCLE
RCGs is a collaboration between New Student & Transfer Programs and the Center for International Relations & Cultural Leadership Exchange (CIRCLE) at the University of Washington
RCG People
Dr. Dan Zhu (she/her) | Executive Director, CIRCLE
Languages spoken: Mandarin Chinese, English
Favorite café in Seattle: Spicy Chongqing in Renton
Fun Fact: I am a mother of two little boys.
Chat 1:1 with Dan
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Marion Ferguson (she/her) | Assistant Director, Undergrad Programs; RCG Program Manager, CIRCLE
Languages spoken: English
Favorite place to eat in Seattle: Milk Drunk in Beacon Hill
Fun fact: I have completed 10 sprint triathlons and love to run (very slowly) with my dog!
David(he/him) | Unite UW Program Manager, CIRCLE
Languages spoken: English, Mandarin Chinese
Favorite place to eat in Seattle: Hong Kong Bistro in International District
Fun fact: I saw Psy in concert in the Korean countryside!
Sangey (he/him) | Student Event Manager
Country: Bhutan
Major: Statistics
Languages spoken: Dzongkha, English, German
Fun fact: I once grew a whole foot in one summer.
Meichen Liu(she/her) | Peer Connection Leader
RCG: Latin America & Canada (RCG 1) and 浙+赣+闽 (RCG 13)
Country: China
Major: Accounting, Information Systems
Languages spoken: Mandarin, Chinese
Fun fact: I once apprenticed in violin-making and built a full-size violin from scratch!
Hadi Almisbaa (he/him) | Peer Connection Leader
RCG: Europe & Africa (RCG 2) and Middle East (RCG 3)
Country: Saudi Arabia
Major: Materials Science & Engineering
Languages spoken: Arabic, English
About me: I like spontaneous things, building random stuff, and going on outrageous side quests.
Suzu Yoshikawa (Any Pronoun Works) | Peer Connection Leader
RCG: Thailand (RCG 6), Taiwan (RCG 7), and Japan (RCG 9)
Country: Japan & Taiwan
Major: Microbiology; Education
Languages spoken: Japanese, English, and some Mandarin
About me: I love geography and maps; I can recite 150 countries from memory!
Zijie (Rangel) Zhou (he/him) | Peer Connection Leader
RCG: 上海+江苏 (RCG 12), 粤+桂+黔+琼 (RCG 15), 渝+川+滇+陕+宁+甘+新 (RCG 16)
Country: China
Major: Industrial and Systems Engineering – Data Science
Languages spoken: English, Mandarin, and little Spanish
Fun fact: I accidentally uploaded all the photos I took during an IKEA trip to a secondhand marketplace 🙂
Ketki Vaidya(she/her) | Peer Connection Leader
RCG: South and Central Asia (RCG 4)
Country: India
Major: Engineering
Languages spoken: Hindi, English
About me: I’m a food explorer, math enthusiast and poetry writer!
Gaofeifei (Philip) Chen(he/him) | Peer Connection Leader
RCG: 北京 (RCG 10), 东三省+津鲁冀蒙晋 (RCG 11), and 豫+皖+湘+鄂 (RCG 14)
Country: China
Major: Finance, Economics, Math
Languages spoken: English, Mandarin
About me: I like all sports, traveling, and flame working color glasses.
Marshall Park(he/him) | Peer Connection Leader
RCG: South Korea (RCG 8) and International Transfers (RCG 17)
Country: South Korea
Major: History / Law, Societies & Justice
Languages spoken: Korean, English
About me: I collect old books, write short stories, and watch terrible musical adaptations.
Dia Dora(she/her) | Peer Connection Leader
RCG: South East Asia & Oceania (RCG 5)
Country: India
Major: Informatics (Data science)
Languages spoken: Hindi, English, Spanish
About me: I love film, singing, and exploring cafes in Seattle!