2008 Woodie Awards
Sanctuary
In September 2001, 19 young men escaped the ravages of war and traveled thousands of miles to enroll at De Anza College. The "Lost Boys of Darfur," as the group of refugees came to be known, found a home among De Anza's diverse student body.
Paul Edison
Issue date: 4/21/08 Section: Features
Among the 2,200 international students currently attending De Anza, approximately eight to 12 are African refugees, according to Howard Irvin, dean of matriculation and counseling.
The original 19 "Lost Boys" were brought to the U.S. with the help of Catholic Charities, a faith-based organization that operates service missions around the world.
The Lost Boys were mentored by Irvin, a counselor for a program called Student Leadership Academic Mentoring for Success.
He says they referred to him as "big brother," and describes them as focused, respectful and grateful. "Their goal was simply to go back and do things for their country," said Irvin. "A lot of students say things of that nature, but these men really meant it."
"Sometimes they would be walking at two o'clock in the morning, getting off work, and they would get stopped by the police, and I would tell them how to handle that situation."
De Anza and Foothill College representatives travel to Asia, Europe and Latin America in the spring and
fall each year to recruit students.
The marketing effort to recruit students costs the district $500,000. The revenue from the international student enrollment reached $14.5 million this year alone.
George Beers, dean of international education at Foothill College said the district directs its marketing plan in Asia because of an observable trend that students interested in undergraduate degrees in America come from Asia.
A study by the Institute of International Education lists South Korea, Japan, India, China and Taiwan as the leading countries of origin for foreign students in California.
"As you know, 65 percent of international students in the United States are from Asia. It is the market," said Marilyn Cheung, director of international program for the district.
She further commented that it was a culture inherent in Asian families to place much importance in the value of education.
De Anza began to go overseas in order to recruit people in 2000, joining its sister institution, Foothill College, which has been working on an international student program since 1990.
Beers, Cheung, Darlene Culbertson, director of international programs for the district, and Viktoria Kolesnikova, the director of international marketing, recruit internationally as a part of their jobs.
The original 19 "Lost Boys" were brought to the U.S. with the help of Catholic Charities, a faith-based organization that operates service missions around the world.
The Lost Boys were mentored by Irvin, a counselor for a program called Student Leadership Academic Mentoring for Success.
He says they referred to him as "big brother," and describes them as focused, respectful and grateful. "Their goal was simply to go back and do things for their country," said Irvin. "A lot of students say things of that nature, but these men really meant it."
"Sometimes they would be walking at two o'clock in the morning, getting off work, and they would get stopped by the police, and I would tell them how to handle that situation."
De Anza and Foothill College representatives travel to Asia, Europe and Latin America in the spring and
fall each year to recruit students.
The marketing effort to recruit students costs the district $500,000. The revenue from the international student enrollment reached $14.5 million this year alone.
George Beers, dean of international education at Foothill College said the district directs its marketing plan in Asia because of an observable trend that students interested in undergraduate degrees in America come from Asia.
A study by the Institute of International Education lists South Korea, Japan, India, China and Taiwan as the leading countries of origin for foreign students in California.
"As you know, 65 percent of international students in the United States are from Asia. It is the market," said Marilyn Cheung, director of international program for the district.
She further commented that it was a culture inherent in Asian families to place much importance in the value of education.
De Anza began to go overseas in order to recruit people in 2000, joining its sister institution, Foothill College, which has been working on an international student program since 1990.
Beers, Cheung, Darlene Culbertson, director of international programs for the district, and Viktoria Kolesnikova, the director of international marketing, recruit internationally as a part of their jobs.
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