As a capstone to their two-year program, eight students attending St. Louis Community College through the Scholarships for Education and Economic Development (SEED) program recently visited Washington, D.C.
The students presented a video they made about their program to the staff at Georgetown University, who administers the SEED program, along with representatives from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), which funds the program.
The students from Mexico and the Dominican Republic met with embassy staff of their home countries to discuss their accomplishments over the past two years.
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“They met with their ambassadors to seek assistance in finding jobs and continuing their education back home,” said Susan McKnight, SEED coordinator at St. Louis Community College.
The students also visited many monuments and museums in Washington, D.C., and concluded their visit with presentations to the staff of U.S. Senators Claire McCaskill and Roy Blunt.
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"It was an extremely important opportunity to visit our embassy in Washington, D.C. We got to meet with our ambassador and discuss some important topics about our return home,” said Marlon Montas Cabrera from the Dominican Republic. “The ambassador invited the Dominican group to attend a private panel that they were having that afternoon.”
Cabrera said he was able to mingle with a professional delegation from his country and made some great connections.
“I never imagined that going on that trip would be such an amazing experience," he said. "I felt like a very important executive."
SEED is a partnership program between USAID, Georgetown University and community colleges across the United States. The SEED program is designed to support economic and social development in the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico, through which more than 300 students have been trained at St. Louis Community College and are now working to affect change in their home communities.
Established in 1962, St. Louis Community College is the largest community college district in Missouri and one of the largest in the United States. STLCC has four campuses – Florissant Valley, Forest Park, Meramec and Wildwood – that annually serve more than 81,000 students through credit courses, continuing education and workforce development programs. For more information about STLCC, visit www.stlcc.edu.