Participating in the USTL scholar program has greatly benefited both my professional and personal development. I am grateful to be studying and living here at Whatcom Community College. The opportunities provided by the USTL scholarship have enabled me to participate in a wide range of extracurricular activities in addition to my studies at Whatcom Community College.
Talk Time is one of the activities I've participated in since I was a freshman. Talk Time has been one of the most interesting and enjoyable programs I've been involve because is also open for Students from various colleges and universities, including Western Washington University, Bellingham Technical College, and Skagit Valley College,

Talk Time is part of the college's program, with the goal of bringing together international students from various countries to facilitate the development of relationships, the practice of English, and the acquisition of understanding about other cultures through the use of a variety of games prepared by the student leaders.
Furthermore, Talk Time provides free meals to all students who participate in the activities, making it one of the favorite parts for all the students. Every student always looks forward to the opportunity to socialize with their peers over a meal while learning more about one another through discussion from the question that student leader prepared.
I've been involved in this program since I was a freshman student at Whatcom. As a result, I am one of the group leaders in this program, and I have the opportunity to learn few valuables lesson from my friend from these activities such as learn how to lead a group, learn how to work in the team, practicing my English and improve my public speaking skill.


As a member of Talk Time, I've had the opportunity to connect with many international students from various colleges and universities. I've been a part of this community for a year and will continue to be. One of the reasons I continue to participate in activities is that new students from different countries arrive every quarter and being involved in activities is a great way to meet people from various parts of the world. Furthermore, taking part in Talk Time is one of the most beneficial ways for me to continue improving my English as well as my ability to communicate in public.


Finally, one thing that fascinates me is that the more friends I make, the better I become at making more friends. This is something that I find very intriguing. Learn to make friends because each student I've met has different set of interests. For example, some of my other friends, enjoy smoking and vaping outside of their dorms every night. While some of my friends were obsessed with going to downtown nightclubs every weekend, others were more interested in going to the gym, doing their assignments together during the week, and playing games together. Despite having interacted with a large number of people, I have gained insight into the community of people with whom I would like to connect with. One of the reasons I chose to make friends with a specific group of people is that I do not want to be influenced by other people's bad lifestyles.

Those who are considering applying to USTL or are in the process of applying to USTL should be aware that they will be astounded by how fortunate they are to have the chance to study and live in the United States. This opportunity will lead to other opportunities for you while you study here. Therefore, I highly encourage every young Timorese to apply for this scholarship, as you never know this might be your opportunity to pursue higher education in the United States.