The fifth annual “Highline Welcomes the World Week” will begin virtually this Tuesday, Feb. 16, with the theme of “Connections.” 

This will be the first time the event series takes place virtually, with all the presentations occurring on Zoom. 

The events are being put on by Highline’s Global Programs department. 

Jenn Ritchey, program manager for global co-curricular programs and professor of global studies and political science at Highline, said she hopes these events will increase global awareness and that people learn something new.

“I believe that it’s important for everyone to have global awareness and this programming is meant to increase international understanding and create global community,” Ritchey said. 

She said while she is looking forward to all the events, there are a couple she is particularly excited to attend.

“I’m actually really excited about every single event that’s listed, and believe that we can all learn a lot from each one,” Ritchey said. “With that being said, I’m especially looking forward to hearing Michael Pham share his own personal story of coming to the U.S. as a refugee, and [Highline professor Dr.] Steve Lettic talk about his experiences. 

“I think it will be great to have these Highline community members speak about their own personal connections to Highline’s yearly global theme.”

The week will start with an update on Washington refugee programs from Sarah Peterson, the chief of office of refugee and immigrant assistance for the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. 

Peterson’s presentation, “An Update on Refugee Programs in Washington State,” will take place through Zoom at 11 a.m. on Tuesday.

The following day, Highline’s own Vice President for Administration Dr. Michael Pham will share stories about his own life and experiences as a Vietnamese refugee in America. 

His presentation, titled “A Vietnamese Refugee Story,” will be held via Zoom on Wednesday, at 11 a.m.

Thursday’s event will be presented by Dr. Lettic, a criminal justice faculty member at Highline and law enforcement assistance attaché for the U.S. State Department in Bangladesh.

Dr. Lettic will be speaking about his current experiences working with the department, including his own accounts of economic development and police reform efforts in Bangladesh.

This event, called “The U.S. Indo-Pacific Strategy from the field,” will take place through Zoom on Thursday, at 10 a.m.

Concluding the week is an in-depth and firsthand look at what it’s like to be an international student at Central Washington University, with students from four different countries speaking about their experiences. 

Titled “Studying in the US: The International Student Journey,” this final event will be held via Zoom on Friday at 11 a.m. 

Ritchey said she wants everybody to feel included.

“I hope that all will feel welcome to attend,” she said.  

If you’re looking for Zoom links to any of these events or further information about the week’s schedule, visit https://www.highline.edu/calendar/category/global-programs/.