• Lobna Alsrraj, who's originally from Saudi Arabia and pursuing a degree in International Affairs, works as an open source research analyst intern at the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE).
• Elsa Yehdego, who's originally from Ethiopia and pursuing a degree in International Affairs, studied abroad in Ethiopia and Italy and is a recipient of the Gilman Study Abroad Scholarship.

With 12,000 international students from 160 different countries, international education is Colorado’s fifth largest export and contributes over $470 million annually to the state’s economy. 

Fifteen international students from 12 institutions across the state attended the Senate Education Committee meeting, learned about the U.S. legislature and toured the capitol. The group of students represented their institutions and countries and demonstrated the impact of international education through personal stories.

Above: State legislators welcoming international students at the Senate Education Committee session on Feb. 5.

This event was organized by the CDHE and StudyColorado consortium with the intent of supporting internationalization goals of Colorado’s institutions and elevating its global profile. StudyColorado includes 25 institutional members made up of private language schools, community colleges and private and public institutions around the state.

UNC is represented at the advisory board level with Olga Baron, executive director of the UNC Office of Global Engagement, serving as the current advisory board chair. 

Learn more:

• StudyColorado
• UNC Office of Global Engagement