Associate in Business, Green River College (2014-2017), BAS in Marketing & Entrepreneurship Green River College (2018-2020) Work Experience: 2017-2018 OPT Sales Associate, 2019-2020 worked on campus. In 2022 I started my own construction company
Share a bit about yourself and what you have been up to since you left Green River.
Greetings to all! I am Muhammad, a former international student at Green River College. Going overseas was both a thrilling and frightening decision I have made, stepping into adulthood. However, I can't be grateful enough to people at Green River College for how easy and enlightening my experience was here. I attended college from the period of 2014 to 2020. I started here from the basic language courses and went through two other programs, including receiving a bachelor's degree. Today I own and run a residential construction company in my hometown. We have been in business for the past three years and have demonstrated remarkable growth, including a team of 18 employees and finishing more than 25 custom homes since the foundation.
How did your education at Green River College prepare you for where you are today?
Foremost, a big salute to all my teachers from the language courses. Without these individuals, I wouldn't have become the person I am today. As the ancient wise Tajik proverb goes, “He who knows the language knows the world.” I would never have imagined that in the course of a year, I would be able to write scholarly articles and present my work to a huge audience while fluently speaking English. However, the instructors at Green River College had different plans for us. Special thanks to Kirsten Higgins, Ann DeHeide, Cynthia Milloy, Trysten Tran and many others. They all knew what their students needed to be successful in academic courses, and surely they equipped us with it. Of course, my kindhearted classmates who were part of this great journey.
I believe Green River College has one of the finest programs to prepare students for top universities. Upon graduation, you have all you need to enroll in whatever university you choose. This is achieved thanks to small-size classrooms where teachers regularly conduct individual feedback sessions. A welcoming local student body and a multicultural community of international students from around the globe. On top, the college is filled with possibilities such as diversity clubs, sports teams, employment opportunities, and more. In regard to job opportunities, engaging in work while studying can help you develop discipline and familiarize yourself with American work culture. In turn, this will help you shape your professional profile and ease your acceptance into a new school. These are just pieces of a puzzle, and there is much more to discover.
What kind of advice would you give a GRC student who dreams of getting into a top university?
You are in charge of it! I believe studying is the priority but isn’t the only activity to do. Avoid spending all of your time behind the desk trying to absorb the material. Like I mentioned, college is full of opportunities, so make the most of them. Step outside your comfort zone and get engaged with the diversity clubs and teams, as they are designed to promote personal growth. Additionally, a range of internships are offered by local organizations; find one related to your field and get yourself involved. Be bold, be creative, and don't hesitate to learn and set the bar higher.
Please share anything else you would like to add.
Huge thanks to everyone who was part of this great journey. Starting from my classmates, instructors, professors, stuff, coworkers, teammates, roommates, the local companies that presented intern opportunities and any others whom I might have forgotten. A big hug goes to Oksana Knyaz, who opened the gate to this unforgettable memory in 2013.