Education USA Advising Centers* in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine held U.S. Higher Education Fairs this fall and FLEX alumni in these countries assisted with the events. Alumni translated for U.S. University representatives, assisted with student registration and helped with logistics. In addition to welcoming students and parents who came to the fairs, alumni also had the unique opportunity to meet university representatives and get first-hand information about U.S. schools and the programs. Below are some of the highlights of the Fall 2016 Education USA Higher Education Fairs with FLEX alumni.
- In Ukraine, a whopping 80% of the Fair volunteers were FLEX alumni!
American Councils representing at the fair in Kyiv, Ukraine - In Armenia the FLEX Alumni program and EducationUSA are close collaborators as EducationUSA Advisor Shushanna Abovyan is also an alumna of FLEX from the 2007 program year and stayed in Carlisle, Ohio!
FLEX alumni volunteers at the Yerevan, Armenia event - Quote from Russian volunteer Dinara Bammatkhanova ’15, “After coming back from the U.S., I discovered the wonderful EducationUSA center and have enjoyed volunteering at their fairs. The last one was more than special to me, because I represented Northern Arizona University, a school I visited and lived an hour away from while living in Sedona, Arizona on FLEX! It was amazing to talk to the fair visitors and answer their questions about the university and American education in general. I feel extremely grateful to be able to help people through the experiences I gained while I was on my FLEX year.”
Dinara with her host family in Sedona, Arizona - FLEX Alumni in Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan also volunteered at the fairs! Volunteering becomes a way of life after FLEX and sharing these values with their peers and others interested in studying in the U.S. is important to FLEX alumni.
FLEX alumni were among the huge volunteer team at the fair in Astana - At the fairs in Moscow and in St. Petersburg, Russia, 17 universities engaged over 1500 students who attended the events. FLEX alumni Anna Yuryeva ‘15, Dinara Bammatkhanova ‘15, Daniella Aruina ‘15, and Nelli Khachaturyan ’03 were real professionals as they assisted the university representatives.
Pictured here: Nelli Khachaturyan ’03 at the fair in St. Petersburg
* Education USA Advising Centers provides consultations and arranges trainings for those interested in learning more about the application process to study in the U.S. Many EducationUSA centers have libraries with a variety of educational materials and exam preparation materials available for students. Some EducationUSA centers hold Competitive College Club and other exam preparation groups. Learn more at https://educationusa.state.gov/
