Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

International Students Build Workforce Skills at College of DuPage

  • 08/27/19

GLEN ELLYN, IL – College of DuPage (COD) has welcomed 16 students from around the world through the 2019-2020 Community College Initiative (CCI) program.

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the CCI program recruits participants from underserved and unrepresented communities and provides them with quality educational study at U.S. community colleges. The program is designed to build technical skills, enhance leadership capabilities, and strengthen English language proficiency.

Since partnering with the CCI program during the 2012-2013 academic year, COD has hosted 124 international students from 13 countries worldwide. Students have come to the College from Bangladesh, Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Pakistan, South Africa, and Turkey.

International Student Services Program Coordinator Kayla Chepyator said she is thrilled to welcome this year’s studentsand applauded the program for its benefits to the visiting students, as well as native COD students.

“The Institute of International Education states that in 2016-2017, less than 11 percent of all undergraduate students in the United States had the opportunity to study abroad,” she says. “This number is even lower in community colleges. International exchange programs provide internationalization of U.S. campuses and provide students with an opportunity to learn from others to prepare them for their role as a global citizen.”

While at COD, visiting students pursue one-year certificate programs in workforce development fields and receive opportunities for professional internships, service learning, and community engagement activities. After completing the program, the students return home with a deeper understanding of U.S. culture and new skills to help them contribute to the economic growth and development of their countries.

This year’s students represent 12 countries, and include Abdullah Abdelraheem (Egypt, Business); Sangrem Bawm (Bangladesh, Business); Kabelo Boleu (South Africa, Culinary Arts); Udayabhanu Bolleddu (India, Horticulture); Marie-Honorée Kadio-Morokro (Ivory Coast, Horticulture); Sylvester Korang-Amoako (Ghana, Engineering); Jesus Miolan Reyes (Dominican Republic, MPTV); Magauta Ntsoeu (South Africa, Tourism); Linda Otieno (Kenya, Hospitality); Edgar Palomino Arevalo (Colombia, Tourism); Ria Pratiwi (Indonesia, Business); Akash Raj (India, MPTV); Ditha Rimadiputri (Indonesia, Business); Francisco Da Silva Santos (Brazil, Engineering); Toni Sitania (Indonesia, Tourism); and Faustina Teye (Ghana, Horticulture).

For more information about the Community College Initiative Program, contact the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs at at[email protected].

For more information about COD’s Field and Experiential Learning/Study Abroad/Global Education programs, call 630/942-2356 or visit www.cod.edu/field.

Featured

  • Embry-Riddle Completes Construction on Research, Lab Facility

    Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Daytona Beach, Fla., recently announced the end of construction on a new research and lab facility on campus. The Center for Aerospace Engineering II (CAT II) will support aerospace research and technology development and broke ground last summer.

  • Dallas ISD Voters Approve $6.2B Bond Package

    Dallas ISD voters have approved a record-setting $6.2-billion bond package that district leaders say will modernize aging campuses, eliminate portable classrooms and reshape learning environments across one of the nation’s largest school systems.

  • UCF Modernizes College of Hospitality Management

    The University of Central Florida in Orlando, Fla., recently completed a major renovation effort for the Rosen College of Hospitality Management, according to a news release. The project modernized 77,600 square feet worth of academic classrooms, teaching labs, and collaborative spaces to support both students and faculty.

  • Rethinking K-12 Schools as a Continuous Learning Experience

    Most students move through three or more separate facilities during their K-12 journey, yet the built environments they encounter at each stage have traditionally been designed in isolation, with little continuity in spatial language, learning philosophy, or physical resources. Each new school is a reset with different layouts, learning models, expectations, and ways of moving through a building. The next generation of school design is making the case that the first day of kindergarten and the last day of high school can and should feel connected through common support systems and infrastructure in the physical environment.