Each year, Temple\u2019s #YouAreWelcomeHere scholarship program selects two first-year international students to receive an annual, renewable scholarship of $20,000. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Flavia Astete Garcia helped coordinate a Peruvian-themed International Coffee Hour program with the Office of International Student Affairs. This event celebrated Peruvian culture and was included in Hispanic Heritage Month programming. Partners included the College of Liberal Arts as well as multiple Latinx student organizations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Ayna Mammedova, CST \u201923, \u201924<\/em>, and Flavia Astete Garcia, KLN \u201925<\/em>, first imagined studying at Temple, it initially seemed out of reach. Mammedova was coming from 6,400 miles away in Mary, Turkmenistan, and Garcia from 3,575 miles away in Lima, Peru, both facing the challenges of accessibility to a U.S. college education as international students. That dream became a reality when they earned Temple\u2019s #YouAreWelcomeHere scholarship, a $20,000 renewable scholarship awarded each year to two first-year international students. To win the scholarship, students propose a project to bridge cultures and demonstrate a vision for enhancing intercultural understanding at Temple. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs part of the program, we are encouraged to serve as leaders and get involved in the community, which is something I love,\u201d she added. \u201cI valued being part of the community, especially as an international student and giving back to Temple, whose support has shaped my college experience.\u201d <\/p>– Flavia Astete Garcia, KLN \u201925<\/em><\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGrowing up in a small town in Turkmenistan, I never imagined I could study in the U.S., especially since higher education is not as accessible for most international students. With Temple\u2019s idea to create the #YouAreWelcomeHere scholarship, it made that dream not feel so far away anymore,\u201d said Mammedova. \u201cI feel the scholarship means the honor of representing my country and sharing my culture. It represents learning about other cultures and helping others become more open while bringing students from around the world together\u2014and I think Temple is doing great work in making that possible.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\nAyna Mammedova, a native of Mary, Turkmenistan, came to Temple as one of the first recipients of the #YouAreWelcomeHere scholarship, supporting international students.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
Temple was the first university in the country to spearhead the #YouAreWelcomeHere movement through a social media campaign in 2016, aiming to reassure international students that U.S. institutions are safe, friendly and committed to their development. The campaign, led by Temple, went viral in 2017 and inspired the creation of the national scholarship program at the university and other colleges and universities throughout the U.S. in 2019. Since the overall conception of the campaign, more than 380 higher education institutions, 70 organizations and 20 secondary schools have joined the movement. It has become so successful that it was ultimately adopted by NAFSA<\/a>, the world\u2019s largest nonprofit dedicated to international education. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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