International Day of Friendship
We’re celebrating this International Day of Friendship by sharing stories from three of our alumni whose international FIUTS friendships have spanned years and continents! Read on for photos and stories from Miel, Bridget, and Heather.
Miel Bernath writes:
As a native to the PNW I was familiar with the area and the school grounds, but it wasn’t until I found FIUTS that it felt like home. My friend brought me to Wednesday lunch and I immediately felt connected. So much so, that I met with my academic counselor to figure out how I could make time with FIUTS count for credit. Needless to we found a way. I began an internship where I helped support admin efforts in the office, coordinate events, and help run Wednesday lunches. Through this exposure, I was able network and create friendships. Those friendships carried me through my time at UW, where I eventually graduated.
Top right: in NY for Antoine Puget’s (France) wedding in 2018. I met Antoine at Wednesday lunch. Kristen (blue dress) is the friend who brought me to my first Wednesday lunch. Top left and bottom right: I was on a study abroad with the UW French Class program summer of 2008. Antoine has just left from Seattle back to Stockholm where he was studying and getting his masters degree. I flew from Paris to go visit him there one weekend and had a blast. We’re making his signature dish here, Boeuf d’Antoine. Bottom left: This photo was taken with Krassen Ratchev from Australia. He and I were getting ready for the FIUTS gala!
Bridget Swirski writes:
I met my future husband Trond at a typical FIUTS Wednesday lunch in September 2008. That fall we’d enjoy many conversations together with friends at the College Inn Pub, and accidentally wear matching outfits to a Halloween party. Throughout the rest of our time at UW, we often volunteered together at FIUTS events and had an amazing circle of friends who have watched our relationship develop and grow over the years. Many of these FIUTS friends came to our weddings, one in the USA and one in his native New Zealand. Highly recommend getting to wear a wedding dress twice!
The photo on the right is of a group of all-FIUTS friends who attended our wedding: Kamil, Kanti, Myrna, Yutaka, Vlademir, Hassan, and Erin. Erin caught the bouquet, so she got to wear my veil for the rest of the party!
Heather Sikora writes:
There is something seemingly eternal about the FIUTS friendships. Spanning the years since I was at UW in 2006/2007, countless friendships have remained regardless of time, distance, and continent. Weddings have been celebrated in different countries and friendships rekindled for these significant life events. Sometimes you end up living really close to FIUTS friends and pick up from where you left off, or you revisit Seattle and reconnect with friends still living in the area. I never expected to make so many lifelong friends during one short year of my life. Thank you FIUTS!
Dinner party in Long Beach 2016 with many FIUTS friends and partners. Top right: Josefine and her husband Abdul, with me in a pub in Edinburgh, Scotland for my wedding in 2015. Middle left: Me and Bridget at Global Gala in 2007. (I don't have more recent photos of Bridget and me even though I stayed with her for a weekend in Nov!) Middle right: Britt and me at an event in Seattle 2007. We met through mutual FIUTS friends and a love of swing dancing. We're currently in a virtual book club together every month. Bottom Left: Lotta, Maria (bride!), Ryoko, Minna, and me in Sundsvall, Sweden for Maria's wedding in 2010. Bottom Right: Amir, Mathieu and me at an LA Dodgers baseball game in 2017.
We may not be able to easily make new friends in person these days, but you can still connect with friends from around the world through the activities on the FIUTS Virtual Events Calendar! Join us for virtual game nights, conversation groups, book readings, language exchanges, and more as we continue to make connections and build friendships - even when we’re far apart.
Guest posts on the FIUTS blog represent the experiences and views of individual writers. They do not necessarily reflect the views of FIUTS or any organizations or institutions affiliated with our programs