Washington and Jefferson College Director to visit Sri Lanka in October

Initiated as an add-on trip to the Council of International Schools (CIS) South Asia Tour and coordinated by Scholarships for USA (Pvt) Ltd. (www.scholarshipsforusa.com) Washington and Jefferson College would be visiting Colombo on 4-5 October in the company of few prestigious universities rarely travelled to the Island before.

Highlight of the visit would be an opening evening where the best achievers of the nation could discuss with each rep of admissions and financial aid.

One of the nation’s oldest and most distinguished four-year colleges of liberal arts and sciences, Washington & Jefferson College (W&J) has spent more than two centuries educating thousands of students who have become leaders in every professional field – doctors, lawyers, judges, engineers, scientists, researchers and many more all owe their success to the education they received at W&J.

Founded in 1781, the college is a modern institution rich in history. W&J boasts a longstanding reputation as a leading national liberal arts college that is committed to developing the potential of every student.  Classes are small in size, so that one teacher has about eleven students in each class. The largest lectures number about thirty students and professors devote significant time and attention to their students and are committed to their individual success.

Washington & Jefferson’s campus is nestled among the rolling hills of western Pennsylvania in the city of Washington, a community of more than 15,000 people, 50 kilometres/30 miles southwest of Pittsburgh, a major metropolitan city. W&J’s campus is only a 30 minute drive from the Pittsburgh International Airport, which is within a 90-minute flight of 70 per cent of North America’s population.

Students can travel to Pittsburgh on a free shuttle provided by the College and take advantage of world-class museums, restaurants and other cultural opportunities. Pittsburgh recently hosted the G-20 Summit of world leaders, where President Obama described the city as “a model for turning the page to a 21st century economy.”  The mayor of Pittsburgh is an alumnus of W&J, and the youngest mayor of any major U.S. city.

From their first day on campus, students at W&J experience the institution’s commitment to internationalisation. They learn about W&J’s mission to “graduate men and women of uncommon integrity…who are prepared to contribute substantially to the world in which they live.”

The College President recites the countries where members of the first-year class have lived, studied, and provided service.  She counsels students, “Whatever you do as your life’s work, you will find that our society is no longer local but global.  As you design your education, keep your eye on the globe.” Global citizenship is celebrated.

President Tori Haring-Smith, who has lived in Egypt and headed a foundation devoted to global education, is committed to internationalisation. She established the Office of Global Education, with a staff dedicated to providing students with international programming. This office welcomes more than 60 international students annually. Administrators regularly travel abroad to help build international programmes.

International business, entrepreneurial studies, information technology leadership and engineering are all popular majors at W&J. The small size of the College ensures that students are able to take advantage of internships and research opportunities not usually available to undergraduate students.

As a student of junior standing, Taylor Eddens, a pre-health student, won an internship at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. There he worked with W&J alum to co-author research that he later presented to the World Vaccine Congress in Beijing, China – a group of 800 of the world’s leading scientists from 25 countries. Unique opportunities like these are why W&J can boast that more than 90% of graduates are employed or in graduate school six months after graduation.