Show Notes
This episode is special. Why? It’s part 1 of 3 on a series I’m doing on access and equity. Now, if you’ve followed my work or know me personally you know that access and equity are a HUGE part of why I do what I do. And sometimes I hear folks saying, “I’d like to do more, I’m just not sure where to start.” or “I want to help. But how?” Through this podcast series–and through other webinars as well as a mini-course that I’ll be releasing later this year–my goal is to provide more opportunities and tools for helping people do more good in the world. #let’sgettowork
For part of this series, I interview Joan Liu, a counselor at a high school in Southeast Asia, who has been working on the front lines of access and equity issues during her career. Wait ‘til you hear her story: this past April, the University of Texas at Tyler first accepted more than 60 Nepali students with full scholarships and then–get this–they emailed those students to say that, due to a clerical error, those students would no longer have a full ride at UT Tyler. Like: sorry.
Like many of us in the counseling community, Joan couldn’t believe this when she heard it. She decided to do something about it.
That story–and what happened next–is what we discuss on this podcast. This story was picked up by the Washington Post, the Chronicle of Higher Ed and they are seeking help for these students–we’ll let you know at the end how you can help. Enjoy.
Play-by-Play
[2:17] Meet Joan Liu
[3:10] What happened: The UT Tyler scholarship debacle with a group of Nepali students
[6:00] How did this happen?
[6:42] How likely is it for international students to get full scholarships to US universities?
[9:18] Who these students are, and how they were impacted
[10:05] How the “Nepal Justice League” formed in response
[16:30] Where things stand now
[19:04] How can folks help?
Go to Everest Ed Fund to donate, offer help, or reach out for more information.
Long-term, Joan and her team are raising 250K (covering 4 years) to make sure students can pay fees from year to year; and can graduate from college.
Short-term, they need about 7K to get two kids to be able to move into sophomore year.
How else can you help?
Donate to Everest Education Fund
Sponsor a student
Help us amplify this story
Do you know someone who is in media; runs a YouTube Channel; runs a podcast; is a documentary filmmaker; is a student filmmaker? Joan wants to talk to them!
Make an introduction. Link us to someone you know who might care enough to make a transformational gift.
Relevant Articles:
International Group Looks to Fundraise to Fill Financial Gaps (Tyler Telegraph, Nov 26)
How an Admissions Debacle Tested an Entire Profession’s Ideals (Chronicle of Higher Ed, Sept 23)
The UT System, a 1.7 million Broken Promise to Admitted Students (Washington Post, May 11)
These Nepali Students Saw Their Scholarships Fall Through (Chronicle of Higher Ed, May 6)
Awesome humans mentioned in this episode:
Samantha Moktan Lama, counselor at GEMS Institute of Higher Education in Kathmandu, Nepal
Selena Malla, Educational Advisor, USEF (United States Educational Foundation) in Kathmandu, Nepal
Joe Morrison and Jamie Kanki, at Concourse Global
Emily Dobson, EDGE, Brazil
