Alumnus
of the Month
Mami Yoshimura - Japan
Mami Yoshimura in Laos.
Mami Yoshimura attended
GRCC from 1997 to 1999. She transferred
to the University of Washington and
graduated with a B.A. in Geography with
distinction, and a minor in International
Studies. She currently works for the
United Nations.
"I am a staff member
of the United Nations Development Programme.
My duty station is in Africa in Maseru,
the capital city of Lesotho. I work
as a Gender + HIV/AIDS Programme Analyst
for the HIV/AIDS Unit in UNDP Lesotho.
Green River Community College helped
me to realize my dream to work for the
United Nations. In the U.N, the ability
to work harmoniously with persons of
different nationalities and cultural
background is essential. During my two
years of study at GRCC and part-time
work at the Student Office, I had interacted
with various types of people with different
ethnic backgrounds, culture and manner
of living. Especially, I had closely
worked with five different nationalities
from the U.S, Turkey, Brazil, Indonesia,
and Sweden at the Student Office. They
greatly helped me to understand how
to communicate with people in a culturally
sensitive manner. Since then, I became
interested in working in a multicultural
environment and eventually led me to
study the field of international development
at the Department of Geography at the
University of Washington in Seattle.
WA, U.S.A.
Mami Yoshimura in Laos.
While I was studying at UW, I further
became interested in the issues of gender
and women’s empowerment and set my career
goal to work in one of the United Nations
organizations. It took me ten years
to get a job at the U.N. During a series
of telephone interviews with the U.N.,
I always shared my experiences in GRCC
with the interviewees because my two
years of experiences in GRCC has shaped
who I am now. Because I have attended
GRCC, I was able to cultivate a deep
understanding in multiculturalism since
my early 20s and to achieve my goal
to work as a U.N officer.
Green River's robust International
Program provided very valuable resource
for international students. Dedicated
advisors and fun activities made this
study aboard experience better! Ross
Jennings and IP advisors had guided
me since my first day in Green River
till I graduated. Even today, Ross still
encourages and inspires me to go to
the next level! Without their care,
I wouldn't have gotten here today. Thank
you! "
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