AS the new academic year begins, over 300 students from Saudi Arabia will gather in Washington D.C. this week to discuss issues facing students from the Kingdom studying in the United States. The students attending the three-day meeting being hosted by the Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission are all presidents of various Saudi student clubs across hundreds of university campuses in the United States. One of those who's been invited to attend the meeting is Yahya Fageehi, the new CEO of “Us to US,” the leading volunteering organizations in the United States for Saudi students. Fageehi, originally from Abha, is studying mechanical engineering at the University of Akron. Speaking to Saudi Gazette about this week's meeting he said: “I believe that volunteering offers a way to have a real and lasting impact on the world and I'm sure we can accomplish something unforgettable, and explore what Saudi students have to offer.” This will be the 38th meeting of the Board of Directors of Saudi Students Clubs in American Universities. It's a meeting that officials from the Kingdom consider a key priority, as it will be held under the chairmanship of Saudi ambassador to the United States. Others attending the session include the Saudi Cultural Attaché in Washington and Deputy Chairman of the Board Dr. Mohammed Al-Issa. Among issues that will be addressed are: educational, cultural, sporting and social activities as well as academic and immigration issues, and overall improvements to be made for the Saudi Students clubs. Fageehi has been studying in the United States since 2010. He's one of over 40,000 students from the Kingdom who will call the US home for their higher educational years. For those new to the United States, getting out to meet average Americans in their campus communities is something “Us to US” has been hugely successful in doing. In his interview with Saudi Gazette, Fageehi said he will be hosting interactive workshops to focus on volunteering, leadership, team management, time management, problem-solving, decision-making and communication skills. He will also make a big announcement that ‘Us to US” which he co-founded just over two years ago, is due to expand to Europe and Asia, with branches opening for Saudi students studying in the United Kingdom, South Korea, Australia and Canada. The expansion says an enormous amount about the incredible impact this organization has had in the United States. “The goal is to spread the idea of ??the organization, and focus will be on attracting non-Saudis and the transition to intercultural communication as will as discover a new culture. We will try to make all these countries admires us. Dealing with the communities through volunteerism will add definitely an excellent personal and professional benefits, and they will be exposed to Saudi culture too,” Fageehi said. This announcement and the three-day workshop come as Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman is set to be in Washington next week for a meeting with US President Barack Obama. As two strong allies, the work “Us to US” has done to have Americans and Saudis meet each other in over 40 states across the country says a lot about the positive impact of volunteering.
“I wanted to do this as I wanted to unify Saudis and non-Saudi students interested in positive change in communities. We want to build positive personalities and fill the gap between both cultures,” Fageehi told Saudi Gazette. When asked what he would say to King Salman in Washington if an opportunity comes his way, Fageehi said: “I will say we draw a bright picture of young Saudis, and for our nation in general through field programs in all these countries.” If the success of their work in the United States is anything to go by, it would seem the announcement of the global expansion of this volunteer program could be a wonderful talking point not just at the White House, but across the Kingdom and around the world. Students from Saudi Arabia care, and education isn't just reading books, it's about helping those in need and understanding them too. Further information can be found at: Us to KSA http://ustoksa.org Us to UK http://ustouk.org Us to Canada http://ustocanada.org Us to Australia http://ustoaustralia.org Us to South Korea http://ustoskorea.org
