| Hakim Hayat |
EDUCATIONUSA, the United States Embassy’s academic advising service hosted a pre-departure orientation for students from Brunei Darussalam who plan to study in the US for the 2017-2018 academic year yesterday.
The orientation was held to assist students in preparing to move from Brunei to the US after being accepted to a US university or college.
Students, parents, school counsellors, alumni members, and representatives from the Ministry of Education (MoE) and scholarship giving bodies attended the orientation held at The Collective Art Events in Gadong.
A panel of speakers including Bruneian students currently studying in the US, as well as members of the Brunei-US Association (BUSA) offered tips on how to prepare for the US academic, social, and cultural environment.
Lily Lau Lu Min, who recently completed her freshman year at New York University’s Stern School of Business delivered tips embracing US campus culture and engaging in on and off campus activities. Lily is currently pursuing a major in finance.
From left; Lily Lau Lu Min, Ammellia Khadiza and Siti Salwah Saim during the sharing session with US-bound Brunei students
Brunei students bound for their studies in the US in a group photo with their parents during the 2017 EducationUSA Pre-Departure Orientation. – PHOTOS: HAKIM HAYAT
A teacher at a government school, Ammellia Khadiza who studied at the University of Northern Iowa, State of Iowa with a Masters of Arts in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) shared some tips on safety in the campus and connecting with family at home.
Meanwhile, Siti Salwah Saim, Brunei’s 2013 Fulbright US-Asean visiting scholar grantee who conducted her research at the University of California, Berkeley delivered a talk on her experiences of being a mother in her journey to finding the best fit college/university for her children.
Siti, a mother of three, is the Vice-President of the Brunei-US Association and works as a senior special duties officer with the Brunei Government.
Representatives of the embassy’s Consular Section also delivered a briefing on student visa applications, and gave tips on travelling and arriving in the US.
US Embassy Public Affairs Officer Catherine Muller said the students will be pursuing a variety of majors, including communications; arts, design and film; engineering; business, finance, economics and other specific fields in math and the sciences.
They have been accepted to some outstanding institutes across the US, including Duke University, the University of Southern California, the University of Massachusetts, the University of Washington, Orange Coast College, Western Michigan University, Parsons The New School, the New York Film Academy, University of California, and others.
“Always remember that you are representing your country to many people who may have never met a Bruneian or even heard about Brunei. I urge you to be ambassadors for Brunei and take your responsibilities seriously to be a good global citizens and scholars,” Catherine told the students.
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