The Washingtonian Bhutanese have begun to see the effects of the initiative taken by a few high school graduates to encourage the fellow Bhutanese friends to enroll for higher education institutions.
High school students along with middle school folks have started to meet regularly every weekend to discuss and share the information about the opportunities and strategies to access available resources for higher education. Often they book library hall for the meeting to discuss the problems that they face at schools, talk about course requirements and many other aspects of American student`s life.
“We have nothing but education as subservience to achieving the ends of our desired goal”, says Krishna Rizal, who recently stepped into the stairs of University of Washington. She was one of the progenitors of the idea “Washington`s Lets Go College”. Her group consists of few of her Bhutanese friends who are fortunate in getting into the four-year College.
When asked what made the group come up with the idea of forming the Washington’s Let’s Go to College Project, a member explains, “As recent high school graduates we saw many of our Bhutanese friends who were unsure of how to continue their post secondary education. Many of them have enrolled in a local community college when they actually have the potential to get accepted to a four-year institution”.
In the last 3 years, more than 45 Bhutanese students have graduated high school. Of them, less than five have continued their education at a Four- year institution.
“So, as one of the few people fortunate enough to get in to a Four-year institute, we want to show our younger generations that community college isn’t the only option for the high school graduates”, says a member of the project.
After first round of sitting with the students in six different cities, the group had come up with specific objectives. Some of the objectives discussed during the sitting included but not limited to taking about college and academic career to help students decide their major(s), helping students prepare for standardized college entrance exams like ACT, SAT and other subject tests, end of course assessment, High School Proficiency Exam, Advance Placement, working with participants on their college applications, personal statements, essays and scholarships applications, connecting participating students to different educational resources and providing homework or other special project help as needed.
All the information about the meetings and resources are shared through a closed Facebook group. The group is closely working with Bhutanese Community Resource Center (BCRC) to connect the participants to the educational institutions. ”BCRC`s efforts were instrumental to launch this program” says, Hem Rizal, one of the volunteer coordinators.
The group unanimously agrees that their focus leading those to achieving the goal would come through collective mind efforts of its members. The members believe that figuring out resource centers and educational institutions would be the starting point to build the team’s high spirit to discharge service to the fullest.
BCRC chairman Tanka Dhital assured his support to the initiative taken by “Let`s go to College” team in achieving American dreams.
BCRC informed that it is also trying to seek sources to upgrade this zeal to a higher stage of fruitfulness.
”We have time and often tried to find the best educational guidance from locally available universities and colleges/campuses to meet the goals of all high school goers and college ready students”, says Dhital.
He is optimistic that Bhutanese students in other states would look the project as a model. Finally, he stresses on giving this program continuity until it meets the objectives.
This is a great feat and promising initiative.
Dear writer do you mind explaining further the term”who are fortunate” please.On what ground are they fortunate;intelligence,personal effort,hard work,financial ability/ability in generating financial resources.Because we are also struggling here to find something tangible to high school graduates.I would greatly appreciate your explanation.Please dont take this otherwise.Thank you.
o HO DAI, This is kinda a great news and gud writing. Thumbs up!!!!!!!!
It sounds like a great starting even though more than 45 high school grads are waiting to get admitted the colleges. It is quite shameful to Washington Bhutanese that these many grads students are still waiting to get a way to get admission for 4 years of college.What do the resettlement agencies,school advisor and community leaders do to help these young folks for these many years? The people like Yuga and Tanka could have known the way already Or Why wouldn’t be the BCRC’s agenda to help the young folks to go to college? I extend my support to these young folks for their project.
Also,Mr Dabadi mentioned that young folks have found the way to go to only 4 years of college program, why not other areas? Or Vocational education?
ACT and SAT test would be the good bridges for those who are unable to pass High School in the State standard level test but those who have had already passed the High school with good grades would be all eligible to apply for the college admission.
It is exicted and useful things for Bhutanese Students Around State of Washington. I hope that This project will get success in future and build up strong community together. ” Together we will rock”
Well done job by our future stars who initiated the “Washington’s Let’s Go to College Project”. It is definitely an examplary project for rest of us. I would like to thank the Bhutanese Community Resource Center (BCRC)for their constructive ideas and all their support to make this project in effect.
Peace to all !
Bhagirath Khatiwada
Concord, NH, USA
It is really a great job. youths are our future and hope that this project will help everybody. But involving non profit in the project doesnot looks good. Next to that i humbly request BCRC to play a leading role …. still there is a doubt if youths are misleaded ………..??????? I agree BHUTANESE WELL WISHER no one netheir ressettlement agencies nor school advisors nor fellows like yug and tanka nobody had shared about what they know about admitting university…… i guess 98% of high scul graduate are going to community college despite few who are all supported and shared abouth the 4 years college programs. though it is late for some if this program goes effectively i guess it may be helpful in the days to come.
While this may address to Tara Dhungana,iam not a writer ,but love to share my views,it may not cover all areas and what u actually looking for,hope u appect it.those high school graduate,i can even spell them,MR Bimal Rizal,Hem rizal,Krishna Rizal and Dadi Rizal were admitted to a 4 yr university,however even my own bro and sis has to go for community college.so they are infact intelligent,hardworking and fortunate,it was their personal efforts and their idea of generating the financial resorces,however their own frns who graduated frm the same high school with them are just taking some english classes and prerequisite,how does those 4 graduate got admitted to a 4 yr university????even those native american performances and GPA at the genius level have not being able to persue their education frm these well known university,the University of Washington,how come u dont salute,applaud and cheer them.I always appreciate them,they have been here the leading guidance and for stance to our coming high school youngsters.
the students group is trying to do some thing on their own effort how comes BCRC on the way it is rediculus
Yug dai,
A good presentation. This project is a good initiative, and a unique in itself; hope this will work as eye opener for others as well.
Good luck.
jambo bambo, What makes you feel that way. Not only BCRC, all of us (Bhutanese Community need to get involved). You just acting like a monkey, not being involved and not letting other to involved. Don’t ever write this types of crap.
Thanks!
This is a good step towards intelectual development of Bhutanese youth. Joint efforts always bear optimun outcome.The precious time in the hands of high school folks should be utilized to shape their future and which is possible by efforts like this.I wish you all a success !
Hey guys lets be optimistic to what they have been doing. It’s outstanding to start a club with positive intentions and giving back to “OUR” community is not as easy as one might think. Consider that these people are First time college students and they are donating their time and effort trying to develop educational environment. Why the hell should we blame the community (in this case the BCRC) or it’s members? Instead why not focus on the fact and contributions the BCRC and the Project have been trying to accomplish?
I like the post. My opinion is not to make a great distinction among institutions whether that may be a community college or a university. The quality of education depends upon students labor. Also, lets notice how many seniors are in the universities right now. To me and to my knowledge, every Bhutanese are ready for education. Notice around your own community where you are living. Old parents, young youths and kids are ready for schools every morning, afternoon or evening. This is an example of our progressive society. Every body is trying to make life easier and more competitive. It is a great idea of Washington students. Let the students make this event a grand success. Now it is time to help them as an individual not as an organisation. Please don’t misinterpret this! My intention is not to hurt anyone.
I agree with you Beda, in fact, it is not wise to make misinterpretation about which institution is better and which one is best. It’s all depends upon how well a student perform in that institution. Let us not make our young generation confused by using the phrase- University is better than college and Technical institutions.
This country teach us- ” person’s success depends upon their hard work and determination, not on the institution they attend.
Thanks!
I don’t understand why people are mis-interpeting this article. I don’t see that the writer is saying that Universities are better than Community Colleges nor do I see that the writer is saying that every Bhutanese high school graduate should go to a University and not to a community college. One of the founders has been quoted saying that there are a whole bunch of Bhutanese students that have abilities to go to a university but are hanging around ESL classes in a CC, and this should be changed. As far as I understand, the project is trying to match potential rulers of our Bhutanese futures to best universities; the project is not aiming to degrade the essence of a Community College nor it is discouraging CC students. Instead it is only trying to let the students know that they can still do well in Universities, they have have potentials, and they don’t really need to be scared of universities. Common guys lets give a round of applause to these students that have come up with the aim of changing our futures. Lets not take it negatively. And after all, can any one of you guys explain WHY THIS PROJECT IS BAD TO OUR COMMUNITY???? IF YOU THINK SO, PLEASE DARE TO START SOMETHING BETTER, I KNOW YOU WILL SUCK! I WISH THESE PEOPLE WERE IN MY STATE, WE NEED THIS PROJECT, AND I AM INSPIRED BY WHAT THEY ARE DOING! YUG BHAI, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS UP! I KNOW THIS WILL BE ONE OF OUR AGENDAS IN OUR NEXT MEETING! WE WISH THESE PEOPLE WERE IN OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL. HATS OFF!!!
Well said Deepak sir! I am also impressed by the efforts these university students are generating. It’s as hard visioning a project that could change our community as it is to implementing it and giving a new direction to the future of our Bhutanese youths. But some of these comments, as you have stated, are simply trying to “mis-interpret” the author’s main content.
Over the last couple of years with the Bhutanese community, I’ve observed that our potential youths are missing out on opportunities of getting into a four year university and the project is something all the Bhutanese communitties around the US should think of if the result should change. NO, CC is not a bad choice, and the author is not trying to degrade CCs and CC students. CCs and Technical Colleges can be good choices for some students, but Universities should be what they should be thinking of when it comes to continuing education, and this choice must be taken seriously.
Please also do not look down on BCRC for its involvement. I am sure the students that started this project need BCRC’s support and suggestions, and it’s always necessary for a community representative to back anything that’s happening for a good cause with in the community.
I hope the Washingtonian youths and leaders will value the project’s importance and if they should not, they will regret at the end. Please look at he positives of the project and lets support it for its amazing idea. Our High school students do need help, and help of this kind within our communities is freaking Awesome!!!!!! I am amazed by how soon this project has reached us in the East, and I hope it has already been appreciated by other communities.
I just want to say “THANK YOU” to the directors of the project, and another thanks to the BCRC for backing it. I hope every Bhutanese Communites in the US will see it’s essence!
No challenge please! Still there is a confusion on project or a person. The project is wonderful beyond my knowledge but comparison among institutions is illogical. The writer has made a great distinction among institutions. Lets not make our youths more confused in the field of academic sectors. I am really upset by the following statements “She was one of the progenitors of the idea “Washington`s Lets Go College”. Her group consists of few of her Bhutanese friends who are fortunate in getting into the four-year College.
When asked what made the group come up with the idea of forming the Washington’s Let’s Go to College Project, a member explains, “As recent high school graduates we saw many of our Bhutanese friends who were unsure of how to continue their post secondary education. Many of them have enrolled in a local community college when they actually have the potential to get accepted to a four-year institution”.
This is absolutely a great job done by both “Let’s go to college” WA team and BCRC. This is what need to be done in every state. Lets learn from them and take initiative step in building our self and the community. This could be the milestone for those who are passionate about their future and forward-looking the right way to go.
I Wish for their success in every step and thanks for being a role-model for all of us.
This is absolutely a great job done by both “Let’s go to college” WA team and BCRC. This is what need to be done in every state. Lets learn from them and take initiative step in building our self and the community. This could be the milestone for those who are passionate about their future and forward-looking the right way to go.
I Wish for their success in every step and thanks for being a role-model for all of us.
GOOD LUCK!!
This is absolutely a great job done by both “Let’s go to college” WA team and BCRC. This is what needed to be done in every state. Lets learn from them and take initiative step in building our self and the community.This could be the milestone for those who are passionate about their future and forward-looking the right way to go.
I wish for their success in every step and thanks for being a role-model for all of us.
GOOD LUCK!!
Yugnath, you have opened up the topic for discussion and reference. It is necessary to motivate the yonger ones,especially the camp-brood greneration, for pursuing higher education in American colleges. In fact the community based organizations and the parents have role to play. However, the older educated ones have to be the role model for them. It seems the younger folks are too obscessed with the meager sort of income they earn from the blue-collar job. But that also need some philosophical understanding of the type of our settlement in US. There are no good signs of cummunity enrichment and intellectual development right now. To begin with what BCRC has pioneered, other community organizations around the world must follow the suit. The future is for the upcoming generation to build.
Being a student and youth living in Washington, I wouldn’t stay out from this topic. First of all, I would like to solute all of our commenters for their immeasurable compliments, suggestion, and constructive criticism .
Yes, it is the beginning, and no one is perfect right now. But, that doesn’t mean that we wouldn’t consider your feedbacks and suggestions. We believe your ideas, criticism, and involvement in this project is crucial and inevitable.
We also understand there are some challenges in front of us, and there are obstacles to be overcame. However, we strongly believe and hope that our whole Bhutanese community is behind us to make things happened.
I do see some concern from some of our friends about the way writer extends the matter of four year colleges ( Universities), but I assumed the writer might be focusing the importance of further education and its need in our newly building community. I myself being a CC student, I have no thing to argue here because if I will, my next step would be to go to four year college, which is the way education works here.
Once again, I proudly appreciate your involvement and you, being the part of brainstorming in this topic. And , finally, thanks to the writer for bringing this meaningful topic to generate this amazing discussion.
Lila Tukwila, WA.
Dear commenter, I feel some concern about your comments and insinuation. I hadn’t thought the topic would be more likely to an uproar. However, you guys give responses in a such a way that lead to controversial. I would like to give more thanks for your kind intimation. Yah I concur; there is some distinction between two and four year’s institutions, and writer might not give an idea about two-year colleges, but I do believe that writer is heartening the younger guys to further their meaningful projects. Please dear commenter learned to be positive. Looking at my personal panorama we are Bhutanese of Nepalese background. Honestly, we don’t want climb up and don’t let other to go up too. We are so bigoted and downgraded people who always remonstrate on something that someone is doing. If someone is trying to do something new we should strongly strengthen them not pull a leg and belt down. Indeed, writer also trying to support these young ambitious younger guys; however, some commenter nurtures this topic to other sides and makes it controversial. Why you are opposing on other’s writing? Do something new and make a world change? Thanks
Yug dai,
Great write-up and definitely a wonderful initiative! I follow the facebook page and it is so good to see that there are many amazingly talented Bhutanese students in WA. Please keep up the good work and I hope this initiative becomes a model for students in other states as well! congratulations!!
-Gopal Subedi
Editor,
I see this article has been displayed more than a month.Don’t you have something other to post? Please stop displaying this article.Improve your websites value
Thanks
Passang,
Do not complain please. Improve your math skills first. The article was posted on Nov. 16 and it has not been one month yet. I feel sorry for you dear.
Thanks
Kumar Nepal.
NJ
I like to thank all the concerned stockholders for initiating “Let’s go college” project, for the youths who could be a guiding light for the society. I hope everybody need to think to initiate this kind of program to create the proper atmosphere for our youths to enhance their educational level.Yug g good work keep it up!
This writing seems just copied from one of the local University students project program and mentioned that it is initiated as a new topic by the article writer. Writer seems very creative in copying others work and project though it is in the creative and positive aspects.
Though keep it up copying and sharing to others through news medias. Great job!
Prabashi, I know you are my neighbor here at Reanier, WA. So, with no dough I can stress that you are an arrogant and stupid fellow Bhutanese, who neither does know to respect others work, nor start your own work. Think who you are?
Regards!
Reanier, WA
You know, you should be the one who is writing the article and pretends you are from Reanier, WA as a commentator. I have never heard the place as spelled reanier in WA state. i am not from reanier. I am from GA.
As always human being thinks himself/herself is always right and others are fool and you are the one to have same perception. Among WA Bhutanese you should be the one who creates the situation to get such comments. There are many others who writes such article and have no such comments. Think yourself multiple times why you are being in such comments.
take care! Good Luck.
prabashi, your comments clearly infer what your intention is all about. How the hell you know that I am an author of this article. I know you stupid know nothing other than criticising and back-biting others’ work.
As you said “writing seems just copied from one of the local University students project program”, Could you please post that link here so I and many other fellow reader can clearly evaluate the fact?
After, if it looks like as you said- I would also ignore the writer’s article for plagiarism. But if not, we would know your intention of commenting here?
Reanier in WA, or GA will also be finalised!
Regards!
Reanier, WA