About Us

Information Brochure (pdf)
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Meet Our Staff

International Student Programs (ISP) Office
Our doors are open all day for you to drop in and get the support you need. If you have questions or concerns about your classes, immigration status or life in the U.S., visit us upstairs in Building 6. We are dedicated to making your education at Highline as fun and interesting as possible, so please let us know how we can help you!

	Mariko Fujiwara, Director Mariko Fujiwara is the Director of International Student Programs. She's responsible for the design and development of our programs for international students. That means her job is to help students from around the world become successful at Highline and to develop programs to globalize our campus and the community. Mariko came to the U.S. from Ichinomiya, Japan as an international student, so she draws on her own personal experience to support students in their adjustment to a new country. Mariko is also a ballroom dancing queen! When she's not working she's dancing the Salsa, swing, waltz, cha cha, or tango. She has a passion for travel that has taken her to over 20 different countries, including her favorite place, Florence, Italy. In 1988, she even gave a speech at the Sydney Opera House for the bicentennial anniversary in Australia! It was a nerve-wracking experience, but she survived. Just don't ask her to go bungee jumping - she never has, and she never will!
	Mike Gruberg, Assistant Director Mike Gruberg is our friendly and outgoing Assistant Director. He handles admissions, student advising, government regulations and much more, always with a big smile! He enjoys working with people from diverse cultures and backgrounds, which gives him the opportunity to learn about customs and traditions that are different from his own. Mike is from the Seattle/Tacoma area, but he has also lived in Mexico and Israel. He loves the rich history of the old city of Jerusalem. Outside Highline, he spends most of his time with his wife and two adorable kids, usually doing something with a Disney theme, like going to Disneyland or watching classics like Mary Poppins and Peter Pan. Just about the only thing Mike doesn't like is paying taxes!
	Amee Moon, Associate Director Amee Moon wanted to be an astronaut when she was a child, but luckily that didn't happen! Now she is doing marketing and recruiting of students from around the globe for Highline. She travels a few months of the year, but she doesn't really mind. Traveling has always been in her blood, from growing up all over the U.S., to studying in Latin America in both high school and college, to living and working in Brazil and Japan. She has lived with 5 host families in three different countries. She loves the idea of bringing people from different cultures together to learn about each other and the world. Amee also enjoys reading and watching movies, especially on a rainy day with her two cats curled up in her lap! Music is always playing in the background of Amee's life; her favorite musicians include Pearl Jam, Sleater-Kinney and Bob Dylan. She's not part of the coffeehouse crowd, however; Amee is probably the only person living in Seattle who doesn't like coffee!
	Ana Nacanaynay, Program Coordinator Ana Nacanaynay rarely meets with students, but works behind the scene to help the office function smoothly and ensure that the students are served efficiently. She sets up systems and processes for our front desk as well as coordinates with other offices on-campus and with our local and international partners. She handles scholarship, insurance, contracts, and database among other things. Quiet and unassuming as she seems, Ana used to hike through jungles, cross over rivers and climb mountains to work with tribal groups in remote villages in the Philippines where she was born and raised. Now, she enjoys baking and decorating cakes, scrapbooking, gardening, sewing, and most of all, being a wife and mother. She loves learning new things, but can never learn singing and dancing!
	Nga Pham, International Student Advisor Nga Pham grew up 7,416 miles (11,935 kilometers) from Highline Community College in Saigon, Vietnam. When she was a teenager, Nga moved with her family to the U.S. and she enrolled in classes at Highline Community College. Drawing from her personal experiences, Nga easily relates to the students she meets as the International Student Advisor. Nga enjoys helping students choose their major and classes, as well as plan for a successful transfer to university. Nga is passionate about assisting students! She is also an advisor for the Vietnamese Student Association at Highline Community College and serves on many committees in the local Vietnamese-American community. Nga’s favorite activities include cooking, traveling, trying new foods and meeting new people. Don’t be shy to say “hello” to Nga, her door is always open and she would like to meet you!
	Victoria (Minjung) Olfert, International Student Advisor Victoria Olfert is our SEVIS advisor and handles most immigration issues. She enjoys working with college students from all around the world and helping them adjust to America and find their dreams. Originally born in Korea, she also studied English as ESL and is passionate about foreign languages. Among many, reading, playing the piano, and walking are her favorite pastimes. She is a proud mom and so looking forward to showing her little one to the whole world someday.
	Sandra Bonifield, Office Assistant Take a good look at the person to the left - most likely, that will be the first face you see when you step into the ISP office. Sandra Bonifield hails from Sumatra Island in Indonesia. She has eyes like a hawk and the memory of an elephant! She is well known for remembering students' names correctly. She is the one who will receive your application and answer your questions about ISP rules or where to buy medicine for your itchy skin. Sandra enjoys traveling, and save for the deserts of Africa or the glaciers of Antarctica, she has been to every continent. The only other thing she loves more is shopping...with foreign currency. As her husband can attest, her first stop in any country is always the mall! Sandra met her husband at the Monterrey Institute of International Studies in California, and spent her first 8 years of married life raising her two beautiful children. Sandra also loves talking, sometimes too much. She looks forward to welcoming you to Highline!

Meet our International Leadership Student Council!