Alicia Adams

Director of Office of International Student Services
Portland Community College

What inspired you to work in this field? 
I love to learn languages, travel, and build relationships, so I saw international education as a perfect fit for me and my career. I learned so much from my personal experience studying in another country, that I wanted to make sure I worked with others experiencing something similar. I believe that cultural education is so important for both the students coming to study, and the U.S. community. We can learn so much from one another!
 
What are the challenges you've faced? 
I have been working in international education since 2008, and a lot of things have happened both in the U.S. and globally that have created challenges in the field. I think the most challenging thing is when catastrophes happen in other countries and we need to support our students from those countries while they are so far from home. No matter how many resources we have to help students, it is never the same as being with loved ones during difficult times. 

What do you hope to achieve in the future? 
I hope to continue to educate and create relationships between international students and our community! 

If you can give 1 or 2 pieces of advice to our prospective international students, what would it be? 
Ask questions! There are never bad questions or too many. You are making a very big decision, and the best way to make that decision is to do your research. We care for every student who reaches out to us and want to make sure they pick the best school for them and their goals. So please, ask us questions.