Hear From Our Graduates
Testimonials from Green River College international students who have transferred to top universities.
Testimonials by Year
2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015
Iris Espinoza
Venezuela
San Diego State University
Major: International Business
"Green River College helped me achieve my dream of transferring to a top university in the United States. I fulfilled my goals thanks to the guidance of excellent advisors, the effort I put into completing my classes, and the good team of instructors that complemented my learning during this stage of my life. Thanks to Green River I've grown as a person, I have become independent, and have acquired a lot of knowledge that will help me in this next chapter."
Valeriya Gornostayeva
Kazakhstan
City University of New York
Major: Communications
"Green River College was the best start that I could ever wish for. The staff and instructors of Green River made my bright future possible. Green River is a perfect place for international students to start their successful career. Thank you to everyone who was next to me for these 2 years. I am blessed and happy to have Green River in my life!"
Ivania Livia Hartanto
Indonesia
Cornell University
Major: Food Science
Also admitted to: UC Davis, Ohio State University, Univ of Wisconsin Madison
"One and a half years ago, before I came to the States, I imagined Green River as an isolated community college in the middle of the forest, gloomy rainy days, and scary instructors. It's funny though, how my perspective changed. Studying at Green River has been a great experience! Green River not only offered a great education, but also offered a warm and welcoming community where I could grow and feel a sense of family. I'm going to miss GRC a lot: the people, the jogging trails, the environment...everything. I would really like to thank everyone for all their advice, encouragement and support. Green River really pushed me to be the very best that I can be."
So-dam Hong
South Korea
William and Mary
Major: International Relations
Also admitted to: George Washington University
"I want to thank everyone I got to know at Green River College. The people who I was lucky enough to meet and get to know at Green River helped me grow and learn as a person and a student beyond my expectation. Faculty and advisers were always helpful and encouraging, giving me hope and helping me look forward to the future. Supervisors and co-workers at International Programs were the warmest people I have ever met. Last but not least, my friends here at Green River are those I am very proud of, and I hope to keep them in my life. I can for sure say that I made a great choice when I chose to come to Green River two years ago."
Xintong (Sarah) Li
China
Wellesley College
Major: Economics and Political science
Also admitted to: University of Pennsylvania, Cornell University, Washington University
in St. Louis, Mount Holyoke College
"After spending three weeks at the University of Washington-Seattle, I decided to transfer to Green River College due to a sudden change in my family's financial situation. I never fathomed attending a community college before; this decision surprised and left me unsettled. I made the necessary change, but felt frustrated and disoriented; I wanted to return to my standard routine. However, my time at Green River was a time of transition. I learned to utilize time efficiently, make independent decisions, and seek advice from faculty which was a rewarding process. I developed a greater sense of identity, honed my abilities, and built my ambitions. At Green River, I met a lot of wonderful people who gave me so much help, such as my adviser Helen Kwon, my boss, Kai and my political science professor Allison Jansen and economic professor Mark Blasdell. My life at Green River gave me a memorable and solid foundation. Sometimes, change is inevitable; progress is optional. And Green River well prepared me for the future. I am truly thankful and grateful."
Ruth Liu
China
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Major: Hospitality Management
Also admitted to: University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
"Coming to Green River College was the best choice I have ever made. Green River made me feel that my goals can clearly be achieved step by step. I love everyone in the International Programs office especially. Their advice helped me to live better, study better, and work better."
Oliver Opoku
The Netherlands
University College Roosevelt
Major: Economics
"When I decided to study abroad, the first thing I worried about was the cost of studying at a 4-year university. Green River's University Transfer Program is eventually what sold me on the idea of studying abroad. It allowed me to spend two amazing years at Green River College where I experienced a diverse curriculum, small classrooms and instructors that offer personal attention to students. In addition, the university transfer program helped me organize my studies and prepare me for any university I wanted to go to. My personal advisor helped me with various difficult decisions both academic and otherwise. I've grown as a student and as person. I owe much of this amazing period in my life to Green River College."
Vladimir Panfilov
Moldova
University of Minnesota
Major: Economics
"Green River is not just a place or just a college; it is a vibrant community of people willing to excel in what they do. For the past 2 years, I enjoyed the diverse student body and the faculty who are dedicated and willing to offer students their best by sharing their knowledge and experience. I do not regret that I chose to study at Green River because I learned and cultivated integrity, organizational skills, independence, patience, and leadership. All these things helped me to take one more step forward in building my personality. The knowledge I gained in the classrooms helped me to get into University of Minnesota Twin Cities where I will continue my studies in economics. I will continue what I started at Green River, so in the future I can contribute in building the free and democratic society we all want to live in."
Bernard Halim Santosa
Indonesia
UCLA
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Also admitted to: University of Washington - Seattle, University of Illinois-Urbana
Champaign, UC Davis, Drexel University
"Green River played a significant role in helping me transfer to a top university in America. Green River has an awesome advising team who work tirelessly to ensure the success of its international students. There are a lot of opportunities offered by international programs, such as volunteer activities and Foundation for Success Peer Mentoring, to exercise the leadership skills for students. The lectures at Green River are delivered in small to medium sized classes supported by labs and state-of-the-art technologies. From an academic standpoint, Green River has outstanding Engineering faculty who prepare their students for getting into their dream schools. Therefore, I highly recommend Green River to international students who want to study in America and transfer to world-renowned universities."
William Halim Santosa
Indonesia
UCLA
Major: Business Economics
Also admitted to: UC Berkeley, UC Davis, UC San Diego, Indiana University Bloomington,
University of Minnesota Twin Cities, and Drexel University.
"Green River is the place where I gained the tools that could help me achieve my goals. In fact, transferring to a top university has been my dream since I was in high school and Green River made my dream come true. Knowledge, strong will, positive thinking, responsibility and commitment are among the qualities I gained from studying at Green River. Green River was the right place for me to begin my journey to becoming a successful person in the future."
Marie Svensson
Sweden
Montclair State University
Major: Biology
Also admitted to: Florida Southern College
"Green River College was a great start for me. It was easy to get to know other people and improve my English fast. Green River has a great program for international students. The variety of fun and interestingclasses Green River has to offer made it easy for me to find what I needed to get my AA. Student Life offers many activities every quarter. I got to know new people and learned something new as well. Working on campus helped me balance studies with other responsibilities. All of these things are important for my future in going to a 4-year university. I feel more prepared than I imagined. I have experienced a smaller school where help is always available and where teachers know and remember your name. I feel ready for the next step in a bigger school with more students, because Green River gave me a great start."
Gloria Tan
Singapore
American University
Major: International Relations
Also admitted to: UC Berkeley, Johns Hopkins University, George Washington University,
American University of Paris
"When I came to Green River, I didn't know what to expect. We don't have community colleges or Associate degrees in Singapore. At Green River, people come from all walks of life. There are parents returning to classes with their children who are completing high school, grandparents wanting to continue their education, people from the workforce who need re-training, others who take classes for the fun of learning. It's fantastic; it's real. That's how society is - made of people with many different aspirations. I found a warm and accepting community willing to extend me many opportunities, learn about my culture, and hear my ideas. On my first day at school, Ross Jennings (VP of Int'l Prog) told us to say yes to new experiences. His advice got me into so much trouble - I started getting involved in Student Senate, clubs and CLEO. Keeping his message in mind helped me grow, and I learned to embrace change and seize opportunities. My supportive instructors, advisors, supervisors and friends have also been amazing people willing to share their wealth of experience and advice. Two years ago, I was on a gap year after high school, working to save money while trying to figure out my next step. I never would have imagined winning any awards or being admitted to so many schools. Yes, I received many rejection letters as well, but Green River has taught me to put myself out there and dare to dream."
Tian Yin
Singapore
UC Berkeley
Major: Molecular Toxicology
Also admitted to: Penn State, Ohio State, and UC Davis
"Green River has been more than just my home away from home for the past two years. The faculty and their passion and dedication to teaching is simply inspiring. The small, but strong community is always encouraging, and there is a bountiful of resources that students can tap on (be it tutoring or student activities). Becoming active on campus was one of the best decisions I've made in my time here at Green River and I highly encourage everyone to do the same. The leadership experience will nurture you into leaders of character and the experiences you gain will broaden your perspectives."