Education is a universal value. It holds the same transformative power for students in Boston as it does for children in Bahrain.
The President visited Amina Al Obaidli BSA ’12 (second from left) and her family in Bahrain along with Maureen Dischino, Executive Director of Admissions (top left), and Ryan Hinchey, Assistant Director of International Admissions (top right).
This truth was reinforced by a trip I took earlier this year to the Middle East. In addition to having the opportunity to visit both alumni and students completing co-ops in the region, I visited 16 different high schools in the United Arab Emirates (Dubai and Abu Dhabi), Bahrain (Manama), Jordan (Amman), and Lebanon (Beirut) along with members of the admissions staff. The students I talked to were excited by the prospect of a practical Wentworth education and well aware of our pioneering spirit.
Indeed, our reputation in the Middle East confirms our status as a global institution. Almost six percent of our Class of 2015 comes from abroad, a population representing 27 different countries. As the Wentworth community becomes increasingly international, our alumni are busy working on one of the great global challenges of our day: the environment. This special “Earth” issue of the magazine—printed on FSC-certified recycled paper—offers exciting stories of alumni who are perfecting the next big thing in “green” cars, changing the face of the solar energy business, and dreaming up ecological answers to the challenges of modern urban life.
We are doing our part on campus, too. Our curriculum includes more than 80 courses that feature sustainability themes, and participation in initiatives like the national RecycleMania program keep our students invested in the future of the planet.
Ensuring the planet’s long-term health will take imagination, innovation, and action. As our reach continues to grow well beyond our walls and national borders, I grow ever-more confident that Wentworth alumni around the world can help answer this challenge.
