International students in the USA were among those who were hit the hardest by the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. The new restrictions on international students' visas by President Trump's administration forced many of them to return to their home-countries.  Many of them came here and spent premiums to graduate with a degree from an American university which could potentially bring more career opportunities for them.  However, they are now forced to let go of that goal and return to their own countries with the college credits that are not even transferrable! 

Why should international students who enrich the fabric of our economy and culture be in such position to choose between education or their health?

In this week's episode, I have my former classmate and my friend, Meriyam Bizhanova. She was an international student from Kazakhstan and spent 3 years in Washington to study English and complete her Associate of Arts degree.  She unpacked her experiences as an international student in WA and how those experiences have impacted her. Enjoy!