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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 the admissions process, 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!
	Machelle Allman, International Student Advisor Machelle Allman has been working in international education for ten years, and she wouldn't want to work anywhere else! She loves helping students with their academic, immigration and personal concerns so they can focus on enjoying their time at Highline. Machelle has lived in Ecuador, Austria and Italy, so she knows how difficult living abroad can be, but also how wonderful! Working at Highline is only half of Machelle's job, though - she is also a professional actress on film and stage! You can find her acting in plays and musical theater in downtown Seattle on the weekends. Machelle grew up in rural North Carolina in the American South, where she learned to clean fish and drive a tractor. Once she had to jump a fence to avoid a cattle stampede on her grandfather's farm! With all this excitement in her life, however, Machelle's favorite activity is being Mom to her 3-year old son, and eating chocolate ice cream, of course!
	Ana Nacanaynay, Program Assistant The first person you'll meet in the International Student Programs office is our program assistant, Ana Nacanaynay. She is the glue that keeps everything together! Ana was born and raised in the Philippines, where she once hiked through jungles, crossed over rivers and climbed mountains to work with tribal groups in remote villages. When she was a child, she dreamed of being a nurse, a psychologist, a painter, and a social worker. Now she is all those things - a mother! She spends as much time as possible with her family. She bakes cakes and sews everything from her husband's pajamas to the living room curtains! When she gets a quiet moment to herself, she enjoys reading and painting. She also loves blue skies, sunshine, and planting flowers in her garden.

Meet our International Leadership Student Council!