2016 Testimonials

Kevin Bunarjo

Indonesia

UC Berkeley - Haas School of Business
Major: Business Administration
Also admitted to: UCLA, UC Davis, University of Minnesota, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

"During the past two years, Green River College made sure of one thing, that I was never the smartest in a room. In a college where brilliant minds are plenty, I was pushed not only to strive for academic excellence, but also to attain a state of humility. Even when I had the ephemeral feeling that I was the smartest in my class, my teachers and counselors would make sure to challenge me to think in ways unfamiliar to my own. There are many easily accessible extracurriculars that have developed my soft skills. To say the least, Green River College is a place that stimulated my growth as a student and also as a person."

Rachel TengChi Cheang

Macau, China

UC Berkeley
Major: Molecular Cell Biology - Genetics 
Also admitted to: UCLA, UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, UC Davis, UIUC, UW Biochemistry department

"I came to Green River in hopes to learn more about biology and Green River surprised me with so much more. During my two years here, aside from learning about my major with motivating and engaging instructors, I made life-long friendships and gained a lot of knowledge, both in and out of the classroom. What I love about Green River is that there are lots of programs to help students succeed. Besides having tutors for different subjects, they also have work-study programs that help students gain working and leadership experience. I joined the student leadership (CLEO) program and I met a lot of students with great minds. It was inspiring working with them and they helped me broaden my horizons. I have grown so much at Green River College and I will cherish the memories that I made at Green River College"

Joonyoung Chong

South Korea

University of Washington
Major: Computer Science
Also admitted to: Columbia University, UCLA, UC San Diego, San Jose State University

"If I were to choose one more time, I would choose Green River College without a second thought. Green River has been the best place in my life for the last two years, and I am heartbroken to leave. I will miss the world-class International Programs advisors and staff members like Jackie, Kim, Ellen, Mim, Andaiye, Adam, Sandra, Mary, Alexa, Oksana, Bjorn, Stephanie, Tawnya, and Ross. I will miss all of my friends, and also my first love, every single day. Without them, I wouldn't have achieved what I have achieved today. Sometimes, I encountered difficulties, but I also learned important lessons—the lessons that shaped me into who I am today. I will cherish all the precious memories Green River has given me for the rest of my life."

Haidar Janabi

Sweden

Richmond University - London
Major: Business

"Green River College has taught me the invaluable lesson of using critical thinking wherever I am. Whether it is in a classroom setting or outside. The professors and staff at Green River have been so welcoming and accommodating during my time here. I have made friends from all over the world which has enabled me to understand all the different cultures more profoundly. Academically, Green River has broadened my view of everything, and the classes I've taken here have gotten me ready to take the next step of my life in London, UK."

Gouresh Kamble

United Kingdom

University College Roosevelt - The Netherlands
Major: Social Science

"Green River College has an excellent transfer pathway and I would like to acknowledge the hard work of the teachers here on campus. They are good role models in terms of making the student want to achieve, not only good grades, but also a good lifestyle in which the students can make correct decisions about his/her future. Many teachers at Green River did this for me including my advisor Lansing Bryan, who always gave me a little extra push to figure out what I wanted to do after Green River, and that motivation of teachers and advisors combined, led me to UCR, one of the top 50 Universities in the world."

Adysti Kardi

Indonesia

University of Michigan
Major: Industrial Engineering
Also admitted to: UCLA, University of Wisconsin, University of Illinois

"Attending Green River College prepared me greatly for transfer to one of the top engineering schools in the US. The classes are small enough to allow adequate attention to individual students and the faculty are very knowledgeable. Some of my professors have years of experience as professional engineers and often times they shared their experiences during class time. I really appreciate this style of teaching because the students can imagine the work of engineers through real experiences. Furthermore, the staff are extraordinarily hospitable and friendly. I was 16 years old when I moved from Bali to Green River College. I remember how nervous I was about studying in a foreign country. However, the staff in the international programs office really helped me to have a smooth transition from my home to the US. I feel so grateful to have chosen Green River College. I owe my transfer success to the wonderful instructors and staff at Green River College."

Hua Gang Lan

China

University of Michigan - Ann Arbor
Major: Financial Mathematics

"Green River College is like a bridge, which connects students to top universities in the United State. It helped to prepare me for admission to the University of Michigan in various ways. I learned the study methods necessary to adapt to the academic environment at American universities. Furthermore, it helped me to become a part of American society. Green River also provided a lot of resources to help me with the university application process. Community College is a great starting point as it gives everyone the opportunity to study at top universities. No matter whether you are excellent in study, Green River provides you the chance to advance your career as long as you know your goal and are hard working. I can’t condense all my memories of the past two years within a few paragraphs. You will have to create your own experience and be ready to enjoy your life at this college."

Xinyi Li

China

UCLA
Major: Economics
Also admitted to: Washington University in St. Louis, UC Irvine, UC Davis, UC San Diego, University of Minnesota

"Green River College offers several great programs to make sure that students get the information they need. The first program I have to mention is the peer mentor program, which I benefitted a lot from. I did not know much about transferring in my first year so I asked my mentor a lot about it and gained a much better understanding of the process. Also, The Lunch Byte program hosted admission officers from different universities and students got the opportunity to speak directly to the officer, which made it very efficient and convenient. In addition, I want to mention the transfer fair which is offered fall and winter quarter. Over fifty universities come to the fair and set up a booth there. Students have the chance to get to know many renowned universities. By talking with admission officers, students can make their own comparison. I took advantage of these programs and I think that starting at Green River and transferring to a four-year college is a smart choice."

Kenta Nakatsuka

Japan

University of Minnesota – Twin Cities
Major: Agriculture and Food Business Management
Also admitted to: University of Wisconsin – Madison, University of Floridaa

"At Green River College, I took the classes that were the most interesting and intriguing to me. For example, Spanish 121 wasn’t necessary for my transfer, but I decided to enroll in the class because learning a new language would make me a more diversified person. Some might say taking a class you don’t need is a waste of time and money, but I think listening to my gut and spending extra time learning about subjects that interest me will make me more satisfied and successful in the long run. Not only did studying at Green River College make me knowledgeable, but I was also able to live and interact with people from different backgrounds on a daily basis. I really love how domestic and international students co-exist on campus, how they respect each other and work towards achieving tasks as a team. I have made many choices during my time at Green River based on my curiosity instead of the outcome. Determining whether a decision is good or bad is subjective, so I made myself responsible for making sure every choice I made was a good one by working hard and striving to achieve my goals."

Ashley Ngo

Vietnam

UC Berkeley
Major: Chemical Engineering

"Green River College played an important role in my success. As an international student going abroad for the first time, I could not ask for more than what Green River has brought me. I met amazing life-long friends, helpful advisors as well as dedicated professors. I am pleased that I chose Green River College because most of my courses here are transferable to 4-year universities. One of the things I love most about Green River is faculty members. They gave me good advice for my study and for my transfer process too. Without their help, I would not be able to get in to such a premier school. Attending Green River College is such an amazing experience."

Lina Sie

Indonesia

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Major: Computer Science  
Also admitted to: UCLA, UC-San Diego, University of Maryland College Park

"Had it not been for the help of those I have met at Green River, I would not have been as successful as I am today. My instructors showed me their passion and dedication to teaching which has made me develop interests in fields not related to my major such as history and psychology. My host family continually invited me to go to church, hiking, or play UNO, which helped to relieve the stress from studying. The International Programs staff were always there to help me through problems, which made me feel like I was not going through college alone. Overall, it is because of these people that my two years at Green River have been the most memorable in my life."

Tzu Hao Tang

Taiwan

University of Washington
Major: Biochemistry and cell biology 
Also admitted to: University of Illinois- Urbana champaign, UC Davis, UC San Diego

"Green River College has provided me all the things I wanted to achieve in college. I  found my interest in biochemistry , I was very involved in campus activities, I develped my leadership skills by joining various programs on campus, I learned things from my peers and my professor…etc. There are countless of things I  achieved at Green River College and those things  fully prepared me to enter a four- year university and continue to pursue my career goals. Looking back to the first day I came, I have changed and grown a lot. I overcame so many obstacles and challenged myself to be a better person. I appreciate all the help I have gotten from the IP staff and the instructors. They are the ones who assisted me and gave me enough support to learn and grow. Now, Green River College has became my home and I am so proud to be a Gator because this is the place where I became a better version of myself."