News

Scam Warnings for International Students

Recently we have been receiving reports of scam that are targeting international students. We are sharing various commonly reported scams targeting our Asian international students, hoping to get your attention and prevent you from being scammed.聽

Scam #1: Phone Calls to Inform Illegal Activities under Your Name

The caller pretends to be from the police station/Border & Customs/post office from the student鈥檚 home country, especially China, claiming that they received illegal documents or items under the student鈥檚 name, therefore, proving the student had committed illegal acts. The caller then transfers the calls from one pretended authority to another, not allowing the student time to think or verify. These calls always involve demanding the student to pay a bail, to provide ID or bank account information, or to install Skype for further control of students鈥� daily life. The caller(s) also demands the student to keep everything confidential, meaning not to share anything with their friends, school, or parents; Otherwise, they threaten to deport the student from the U.S.聽

In these situations, hang up the phone and call UWPD at 206-685-8973. Do not share any personal information with the caller. Based on our knowledge, the callers or scammers are most likely not in the U.S., so they won鈥檛 be able to harm your safety as they claimed to.聽

Scam #2: Text Messages asking for payment or clicking a link

Fake text messages from delivery companies, post office, bank, etc., asking you to click on a link, so you can provide your credit information to pay for unpaid delivery fees, bank fees, etc.聽

In these cases, do NOT click any links to avoid malwares being installed on your phone. You can simply block the sender.聽

Scam #3: Emails or calls from official government agency demanding payment聽

Students also often receive official-looking emails (e.g. from uwit@uw.edu) or phone calls that display as an official government agency, such as the IRS or China Consulate at San Francisco. These emails or phone calls typically lead to pressuring the student to pay money or threatening to deport the student if they don鈥檛 pay.聽

In this case, don’t answer the call and block the sender. Keep in mind, any official agencies, like universities, the police, embassies/consulates, the IRS, or Immigration agencies, will NOT call you directly to discuss official business or require payments. In the U.S., emails and postal mails are the most common forms of official communication.

Scam #4: Emails offering remote jobs with a nice salary

Students receive job offers via email that allow them to work remotely and earn a very nice salary. Here is a unique case: On 91探花Handshake, the scammer created a fake profile for a department dean and offered the student a job to work at the Dean鈥檚 office. Then the student was asked to purchase some office supplies or gift cards, being promised to get reimbursed later.聽

New case: (added on 11/27/2023)

Recently, there have been frequent calls to students鈥� mobile phones with the caller number showing as 8696110, pretending to be China鈥檚 National Anti-Scam Center. The caller informs the student that they have been involved in major criminal cases such as money laundering due to theft of identity information and using forged official documents, seals, etc. Once gained victim鈥檚 trust, the scammer then tricks the victim into transferring money in the name of ensuring the safety of funds. Please be vigilant.聽 Such calls should not be answered and you should block the sender right away. A helpful tip: All hotline numbers are for the public to call in. Officials will never use the hotline number to make calls.

In these situations, report the scam to UWPD at 206-685-8973 or UWIT at help@uw.edu

If you got scammed, you can always call UWPD. If you are unsure about a scam, you can always ask CIRCLE in RCG group chats, email us at uwcirle@uw.edu or call UWPD. One simple action can help you avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble.聽

CIRCLE Student Advisory Board (SAB) Applications Now Open!

Dear Husky,

Hello everyone, this is the application for the 2022-23 SAB Board. Thank you for applying for CIRCLE’s International Student Advisory Board (SAB). The SAB aims to provide a space where international students can:
-Share their international student experience and concerns
-Advocate for international student needs to inspire new programs and resources
-Gain leadership experience and a close community

Time commitment: We will have in-person/virtual meetings every week. The time for that will be decided based on the convenience of the selected board members.

Application closes on Monday, August 30th at 11:59 pm (PDT). Applications will then be reviewed and you will be further contacted with a time to interview. If you have any questions, please email sabchair@uw.edu

Applications open – May 4
Info session 1 – May 12 at 5-6 pm (
Info session 2 – May 16 at 4-5 pm (In person at 250 Schmitz Hall 1410 NE Campus Pkwy, Seattle, WA 98195)
Application Close – May 18
Interviews – May 23-27
Final Decisions – June 1

Self-care tips for the winter quarter

“Self-care” is typically used as a quick and easy fix to when we’re feeling stressed, burnt out, or lacking the motivation to do work, go to classes, and hang out with others.

However, it can be tricky to understand what “self-care” can include… Check out ways to practice.

(Adopted from )

Important message regarding UW鈥檚 vaccination requirement

The below message was sent as an email from CIRCLE to international students at the 91探花’s Seattle campus.

Dear Huskies,

Today is the deadline by which all 91探花 students are required to聽upload proof of vaccination聽to avoid a聽registration hold on their Winter 2022 registration. Some students have been confused on whether or not they have completed this requirement. We are sending this message to encourage you to check your My 91探花to ensure you do not have a registration hold.

When you check the notices section in MyUW, if you see something like the notice below (Critical: 91探花Student COVID-19 Vaccination Requirement), that means you have a registration block. It is VERY important that you take the necessary steps to have the hold removed. If you do not act right away, you will not be able to register for classes. If you don’t see the notice below, thank you for completing the vaccination requirement.

To have the hold removed if you鈥檙e already vaccinated, please complete the verification requirement by uploading a picture of your vaccination card. It is ok if the vaccination card is in a language other than English.

If you are not vaccinated and wish to submit a request for a medical or religious exemption, you must聽download the appropriate exemption form. Once you complete the form, you can upload the request using the secure portal listed on the page where you downloaded the form.

Once you upload your proof of vaccination or request for a medical or religious exemption, the hold will come off聽shortly after. All documentation will be reviewed by Hall Health staff and you will be contacted via email if there are issues or questions about your documentation.

Please remember that students who submit false or inaccurate information as part of the vaccine verification process are subject to disciplinary procedures that can include dismissal from the University.

Please let us know if you have any questions regarding this process.

Thank you,
The 91探花CIRCLE Office

A portal to the world: How I had a global Husky Experience without leaving Seattle

by Joseph Yang

I entered the 91探花, like most, as an in-state student. I hadn鈥檛 traveled much, all of my close friends were from my hometown, and the prospect of going to school 25 minutes away from my parents鈥� house was, to be honest, a little bit underwhelming. I was envious of my friends who got to spend their next four years on the East coast, the same ones who studied abroad and posted pictures of the intangible 鈥渃ultural experience鈥� that always seemed just out of my reach. I figured that my desire to experience the world: trying new foods, learning about different traditions and geopolitical issues, participating in cultural festivities, would have to wait. Maybe after graduation I could land a job that allowed me to travel.

Three years later, I can鈥檛 help but scoff at the pessimism I carried with me during that first year. Having recently graduated, the vast majority of my friends are international students. They hail from places as distant as China, India, Brazil, Korea, and Japan, to name a few. Through my time with them, I鈥檝e had home-cooked meals I鈥檇 never thought I鈥檇 try, learned about their native political and cultural issues, picked up bits and pieces of new languages, and recognized the unique challenges international students face on a day-to-day basis. And get this, I never traveled abroad!

Don鈥檛 get me wrong, I鈥檓 not saying that study abroad isn鈥檛 an eye-opening, transformative experience worth doing. What I鈥檓 trying to communicate, especially to in-state students like myself, is that attending the 91探花offers a wonderful opportunity to participate in cultural exchange even while being close to home; you just need to know how to get involved.

My cultural exchange journey started about two quarters into my first year at the UW. I hadn鈥檛 really made any friends. I tried joining a few clubs, but none of them really stuck. I was sad, lonely, and wanting more out of my college experience. So one day, when I saw a flyer for a program called Unite UW, advertising 鈥渓ife-long friendships鈥� through a seven-week cultural exchange program, I took a leap of faith and signed up. The following quarter I arrived at my first Unite 91探花meeting. I was assigned to a small group with two students from India, one from Mongolia, one from Vietnam, and one from Washington.

Unite UW鈥檚 mission aimed to foster an atmosphere where international and domestic students could bond and exchange cultures. There would be weekly field trips and fun activities designed to bring us all closer together; emblematic of this was the 鈥淥nce United, Never Divided鈥� motto all the program facilitators seemed to incessantly repeat.

I鈥檒l admit that I was skeptical of the program at first; the icebreakers were uncomfortable and I didn鈥檛 believe that I鈥檇 get close to these strangers over the course of a measly seven weeks. Nonetheless, all the facilitators who had done the program in the past seemed happy enough, attesting that I would have a great time if I went into the program with an open mind.

And that was the key: going into the program with an open mind. Throughout those seven weeks, I got to go on a camping retreat, explore downtown Seattle, see a tulip festival, have a bonfire at the beach, and eat delicious food from all over the world. But, more importantly, I learned about my groupmates鈥� upbringings, the similarities and differences between our cultures, what international students liked and disliked about the living in the US, and the shared experiences we had as students attending the UW. I left the program with deep friendships that suddenly expanded my worldview, and I craved more.

Following the program, I got as involved as I could in international student advocacy, support, and engagement. I became a Unite 91探花facilitator the following quarter, joined the International Student Mentorship Program, and applied for a job at 91探花CIRCLE, a department focused on supporting international student needs on campus.

For me, all these experiences have reinforced how special the 91探花 is. Students from all around the world travel to Seattle to study. There may be no better chance in life to interact with such a diverse crowd and to learn about the world through conversation and friendship. Yet, sometimes when I walk around campus, I can鈥檛 help but feel that students take this opportunity for granted.

International students and domestic students too often stick to their own groups. When I see this, I鈥檓 saddened by the missed opportunities to learn from one another and to connect with the larger world. Cultural exchange can be difficult; it鈥檚 hard to put yourself out there. It can be hard to interact with someone with an upbringing completely different than your own. But if you go in with an open mind, if you are willing to be vulnerable, if you truly want to better understand your place within this vast world, then cultural exchange is an invaluable experience, one that all students at the 91探花should strive for during their time here.

is a 91探花alum (2021) who studied political science at the 91探花and served as the Communications Coordinator for 91探花CIRCLE. Joseph integrates his love for learning with his passion for advocacy through effective writing and communication.

International Student Stories: Bryce Wagner鈥擴biquitous Identity

“I have the body, accent, and the face of Caucasian American, but I very much feel like an immigrant.”

Bryce is a Swiss-American born, where he grew up in Geneva, Switzerland. He grew up with American parents in a British Schooling systems in the Suisse-Romande (french-speaking region) of Switzerland. His聽 identity has been ubiquitous over the past 3 years, especially in the face of some of the challenges at UW, but he firmly identifies himself聽 as an Anglophone global Citizen!

Listen to Bryce’s journey in this episode!

International Student Stories: Naisha Sachdev “How I overcame the pandemic as an international student”

Imagine taking classes at 3 am? Imagine being not able to sleep for 3 days straight during the finals week because of the time differences. International students already face challenges of culture shock, joining communities, and adapting to new environments when they are on campus. But what struggles our international students聽 face during pandemic?

Naisha is international student from India and she tells us her story.聽 She was able to experience the difficulties of connecting with people, taking classes at night, and coping with feelings of isolation. Her courage to change the status quo of her life allowed her to join new clubs and represent her culture proudly though dance. She was able to overcome the challenges that many international students face today during the COVID-19 pandemic.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/22ZXYMl65XDkHOIJ69vWHH?si=8b36dbe7ecd34c83

International Student Stories: Vikram Guhan Subbiah from India

鈥淎m I Indian or am I American?鈥�

Vikram was born in America, but grew up in India. He grew up speaking Hindi, watching Bollywood movies, and listening to Indian songs. By the time he came to the U.S to attend UW, he knew he was not American as his passport said, at least not culturally. However, this did not stop him. He decided to embrace both of his identities and went to play cards with his Saudi Arabian buddies, learn pick up lines from his Brazilian friends, and learn about different ethnic groups in East Africa from his Eritrean friend. He chose to grow and broaden his perspective by simple saying 鈥渉i鈥� to a friend eating at Local Point food court.

Listen to his story to hear about his experience as a American citizen, spending most of his time in India and coming back to UW.

International Student Stories: Luiz Fernando Saade Porto from Brazil

“I don’t want to go back to Seattle. Should I just stay in Rio? ”
That is what freshmen Luiz said, but not anymore. Though he struggled in the beginning聽 of his time at 91探花to find friends and a community, today Luiz has successfully has made 91探花his home. In this episode, Luiz takes us to his experience of being an international student at UW. We will hear his willingness to step out of his comfort zone to find friends, community, and a support system at UW.

Luiz Fernando Saade Porto spent his first 19 years of life in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and the last three and a half years in Seattle studying at UW.聽 Luiz is a senior studying Economics with a minor in Informatics and a passion for data science. At the university, he spent more than two years as part of Unite UW, a program that connects domestic and international students and that helped him find his community and home at UW. Some of his hobbies include hanging out with his housemates and friends, playing the bass guitar, hiking, traveling, and truly learning about different cultures by experiencing them.

International Student Stories: Pum and Aries from Thailand

Pum and Aries came to the U.S. in their freshman year for the first time and they were able to bond over their shared problems of finding a dorm to stay in. Both of them decided to join the Thai Student Association and were able to find a shared connection through their Thai culture. Thus, they both were able to expand their social circle through this shared experience, not just by joining the Thai Student Association, but also by exploring their interests and joining different clubs later on with local students. Their discomfort of going out of their comfort zone and trying new things was their currency for their growth.