As the fall semester came to a close Castleton University said goodbye to four undergraduate international students headed back home after their semester-long program through the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program supported by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs. The Global Undergraduate Exchange Program, also known as the Global UGRAD Program, provides one semester scholarships to outstanding undergraduate students from around the world for non-degree full-time study combined with community service, professional development and cultural enrichment.
Bayan Alsairy of Saudi Arabia, Mai Can of Vietnam, Elgun Mammadov of Azerbaijan and Bahdja Sehli of Algeria represented Castleton’s first time hosting students from the educational exchange program.
While on campus the students fully embraced the opportunities offered to them, from classes on U.S. politics and government, to community service and extracurricular activities, such as carving pumpkins and attending their first ice hockey game.
“They shared with the Castleton community food from their countries, traditional dances, and other customs from their home cultures, and perhaps most importantly these students made new connections and life-long friends,” said Coordinator of International Student Services Debbie Singiser, adding that a reception was held in honor of the students in December. “The four students touched many lives in their relatively short time on campus, as was evident by the more than fifty people who attended the farewell event. They will be missed greatly.”