On 16 January 2012, Beida Jade Bird International Education (BJBIE) warmly welcomed the second group of Pathway Program Chinese students to the United States. This new crop of 14 students enrolled in Greenville College in Greenville, Illinois. None of these students knew each other before arriving in the U.S. as they hailed from different regions in China, including Beijing, Shandong, Anhui, Hunan, Guangdong and Xinjiang. This event marked an important step for BJBIE, the largest IT education company in China which is rapidly expanding its overseas education programs in the U.S.
In October 2011, BJBIE greeted its first delegation of Pathway Program students to Greenville College.
Fei Li, one of the first Chinese students at Greenville College says, “It was a clean and clear day in October. Birds were flying in the sky; I was standing firm on the ground. Since then, I believe this is where my dream starts.” Fei Li’s twin brother, Xu Li, also joined the same program. These siblings from Shanxi province are smitten by Greenville’s attractive campus and the smiling faces of local students. Fei Li says, “I believe my dream will blossom out at this campus someday. Thanks for everyone who helped me on this journey.”
In keeping with the program's value of providing strong support to the students and the college, BJBIE’s student service specialist, Reina, made several successful trips to Greenville College. She spent time meeting with each student to learn about his and her background, understand the academic requirements and goals, and help each student adjust to the American culture. During their holiday breaks BJBIE, in close coordination with Greenville College, carries out customized tours throughout the U.S. During her visit to the campus, Reina, spearheads meetings with the college's program directors and language teachers in an effort to strengthen transparency and close ties between students and teachers. As an expression of BJBIE’s appreciation and support to its programs, BJBIE provides special traditional Chinese gifts to the students and college staff.
BJBIE’s programs are in alignment with the demands and convergent goals of the U.S. and Chinese governments. The U.S. Department of State’s 100,000 Strong Initiative calls for a new vision: “The need for Americans to gain greater exposure to and understanding of China is clear: there is perhaps no more important or complex relationship in the world than that between the United States and China in terms of securing global peace and security.” BJBIE fully supports this mission with its rich and diverse two-way multi-cultural exchange programs.
The Pathway Program is a unique and innovative educational model which helps schools broaden their international student population while shepherding the Chinese students' studies and foreign experiences from start to finish. With an office overlooking the Potomac river in Washington D.C., BJBIE's attractive location enables it to more effectively attend to the needs of its partner institutions. To understand more about the Pathway Program, please visit our website at BJBIE. To stay updated with the progress the Pathway students are making, you can follow us on Twitter and check out our Facebook Group!