Husky Presidential Leadership Institute -- Beijing, China
The University of Washington has a very high international student population. The divide between domestic and international students is not something every one thinks about, especially as a domestic student. As a Husky Presidential Ambassador it was my job to recognize the divide between these two groups and do something about it. I was given a great opportunity to act as a mentor to a group of international freshman students coming from China. While helping students transition to life on campus at the UW, I was also able to complete a leadership program that focused on multicultural communication and diverse leadership styles.
Other perspectives: During this program I was able to dispel stereotypes about the Chinese culture. Being able to engage in dialogue with the Chinese students and learning their stories made me realize we weren't so different after all. It was interesting to work in groups with them for leadership-related activities and hearing from different speakers in the area because it allowed me to learn a bit how leadership is viewed and practiced in other countries. It expanded my understanding and thinking of leadership.
Diversity: This program really allowed domestic and international students to learn from one another. We were able to share our stories with each other which helped remove stereotypes and taught us to be more open-minded. By the end of the program, we all became a much more integrated group. In this case, diversity was important to bringing new ideas to activities and breaking the mold that we were placed in.
One part of the leadership program was the company visits. Here is the full group at Boeing China.
We heard from the Vice President and got insight on his leadership philosophy.