Columbia College, International Day Festival Delights Students

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Left: President, Richard Kim                                         Right: Prof. Ok Cha Soh

As Columbia College (President, Richard Kim) celebrates its 20th anniversary this year, the school hosted its yearly
International Day on May 2, starting at 11:30 am, with great success.

This annual event was prepared by students from 50 countries worldwide who wore their traditional costumes, cooked food popular in their own countries, and enriched everyone’s understanding of their cultures. A welcome speech by Dr. James Cho was followed by fun quizzes with prizes.  Wearing their traditional outfits, students served delicious food for everyone to enjoy. Everyone delighted in the smell of delicacies, tasting the unique, foreign food, and had so much fun with the games: water balloons, tug of war, singing contest, and talent shows. This event exposed students, faculty, and staff to other cultures, and nurtured students’ understanding of other cultures to better equip them to mingle with the global-minded elite. It was a time to release stress from the heavy academic schedule of their typical school days.

Columbia College has three campuses, with the main campus in Tysons Corner, and others in Centreville, Virginia, and Silver Spring, Maryland, with over 1,000 students who study ESL and vocational training. ESL students can qualify for Federal Financial Aid. If students take the online ESL program and hybrid courses combined, they have the benefit of choosing convenient timing and location according to each individual’s needs. The school also helps students open their career pathway after they complete their ESL program.

President Kim said, “With our mission of ‘Student First,’ we have been helping minority students to get settled well in America and also want to thank the Korean-American community for their support.” Professor Soh closed with the words, “Through this event students will get closer to each other, respecting others’ cultures, taking this opportunity to be adjusted well in American society. I hope the local residents in this region can celebrate together next year.”

By DCKorean News, John Lee