Celebrating 75 Years of International Understanding
For 75 years, the Foundation for International Understanding Through Students (FIUTS) has provided a platform for students from all over the world to come together and share cultures, traditions, and perspectives with one another, to connect with members of our community, and to consider their impact on the world.
“FIUTS is the best thing that I’ve ever had in my college life.”
Video Transcript
FIUTS international students have been a fundamental part of our family and our extended community.
It kind of gave you a lot of confidence about about things.
Definitely, food is one thing… you can spend more time at the table and you know, talk with people.
I remember a lot of the good friends I made that also gave me an opportunity to expand into the sales community too.
These kinds of bridges between the international students and the local students.
And as more students come and get to experience this warm community, to be part of the culture through that host family experience, I think everybody will have stories like that and then they go around and build communities that then further help people around them.
The students who come through FIUTS, the students who have that international experience, don't have to go through that fear, that nervousness of, “What's going to happen, where am I?” and that is foundational to building a strong connection with our communities.
“We want to come back here, we love this area, because it has so much to offer.” Yeah, so I think it's just great for the city overall, just a way to highlight it and it's people and all that it has to offer so I think that's great.
Every encounter with FIUTS, it's about every moment I am here, I am with my community, with my people, with my friends. I think that is what really matters because that is where I can feel the bond that exists between people.
It brings back memories to me of why I enjoyed working there. FIUTS really presented a unique opportunity for me to expand into the community.
So I feel like that will be the biggest legacy that FIUTS will leave to Seattle or even to the world, like really connecting, bridging people from different countries.
We’re just more interested to travel around and learn about different places.
It's been educational and just really neat to see like, oh you can live through them also and where they live and where they came from, so it makes it very interesting.
You know, you just make these like really amazing connections with people.
I want my kids to have that notion of radical hospitality, which is what makes FIUTS so important.
One of my [homestay] students, Susan from Haiti, who's now director of French-speaking Africa for the World Health Organization.
I have always been really grateful to the opportunities provided by FIUTS.
You know, I have made a lot of friends, personally. That's actually a very important thing, you want to boost your network.
I felt like I belong, I felt I found my community within there.
Through FIUTS, I have friends, I built my confidence, so… I mean, the community element of FIUTS is really what matters to me as a student.
FIUTS has brought the world to me, it's kept my mind open.
I think FIUTS is a really important part of our community because it really is that front door into our community. Like with any party or any household, you want to make sure that that front door is supportive and loving and connected, and you know really sets the tone for what that experience is going to be. And that's what FIUTS does so well.
I mean this is such a very amazing organization, so please donate to FIUTS. We need a group, [we] actually need to commit on this stuff right and providing support to International students.
And then when you think about FIUTS as a way of living, it is something that we really need to invest in.
FIUTS helped you and then you can help FIUTS too, right?
FIUTS is communication… family… incredible… opportunities… amazing…
FIUTS is community.
FIUTS is a family
FIUTS is the best thing that I've ever had in my college life.
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FIUTS delivers critical programs that help students from all over the world feel like they belong on their campus and in our community. FIUTS programs develop students’ potential for leadership, community-building, and academic success. Your donation helps thousands of students access support services, grow as leaders, and find community in the Puget Sound region.