Green River College hosts student leaders from central Asia

For the Reporter

Twenty student leaders from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, participated in the annual Study of the United States Institute (SUSI) on Women’s Leadership at Green River College in July.

SUSIs are intensive academic programs with the purpose of facilitating in undergraduate student leaders a deeper understanding of the United States, while enhancing their leadership skills.

The SUSI program is part of a broader U.S. Department of State initiative designed to promote a better understanding of the U.S. abroad and help develop future world leaders. This is the ninth year Green River College has hosted a SUSI program.

Participants are highly motivated undergraduates, typically in their junior year at a university, who have demonstrated leadership through academic work, community involvement and extracurricular activities. They are selected by their respective U.S. embassies after a rigorous interview process which identifies students with the potential to become future leaders in society as well as their chosen careers.

Local site visits and educational travel within Washington state and Washington, D.C., give the students the chance to observe various aspects of American life, as well as opportunities to discuss issues raised in the academic program.

Participants also meet and interact with Americans from a variety of backgrounds and stay with host families.

The program includes meetings with community leaders and visits to a variety of local organizations, where participants learn about opportunities and challenges, particularly for women, and how these groups have strategized, developed action plans and built strong networks of women leaders.

One of the highlights each year is a visit with the Kent Mayor Suzette Cooke. During their meeting with Cooke, the students shared information about their countries and cultures and asked Cooke questions about her style of leadership.