Cynthia Bunton has led International Student House of Washington DC (ISH-DC) for the past three years as President of our Board of Directors.  During her tenure, the House has seen a time of significant growth and exciting change.

Cynthia, a retired United States Foreign Service Officer with over 30 years of executive leadership experience in international operations and strategic management, began her time as President by recognizing the value of building and maintaining a strong community with our Board of Directors, resident scholars, alumni, and advocates.  Under her leadership, ISH-DC has expanded relationships with foreign embassies and enhanced outreach to Members of Congress and other US government officials.   A number of foreign Ambassadors have either spoken at the House or invite our students to join them at their embassies for receptions and discussions.  Under her guidance, a number of Board members have engaged in supporting residents with career advice by participating in networking events and round tables, as well as hosting residents during holidays and other informal opportunities. As a result, we have created an even more diverse and global community of resident scholars at the House and our scholars have benefited from the many various opportunities offered while a part of the ISH-DC family.

Diversifying and strengthening our Board of Directors has also been a significant achievement of Cynthia’s tenure.  Under her leadership, our Governance Committee has engaged in a by-laws revision process, as well as engaged with and secured 15 new prominent members of our Board.  Cynthia has been a steadfast leader throughout her time in office and her accomplishments will be felt for years to come.

Cynthia, who also happens to be an alumna of the House, has left an indelible mark upon our organization.  The Board of Directors, resident scholars, and staff thank her for her leadership, vision, and drive over the past three years and look forward to her continued involvement with International Student House.

Frank Islam, entrepreneur, philanthropist, civic leader and thought leader, joined International Student House of Washington, DC (ISH-DC) the evening of October 30 to share about his experiences building his company and engaging in his many philanthropic endeavors.

Graduate students from over 20 countries enjoyed the opportunity to learn from Mr. Islam’s astute advice, given his highly successful career building his business from a single employee to over 3,000 employees and revenues of approximately $300M before its sale.  He encouraged our young professionals to be entrepreneurs in whatever profession they choose, show up and be the best they can be, and always seek to be better.  Mr. Islam’s inspiring and compelling remarks were well received by the many international students who are studying at universities in Washington, preparing to embark on their own careers in the public and private sectors.

Mr. Islam was introduced by resident scholar Ashish Kakar from Mumbai, who is here in DC studying at Johns Hopkins University.  ISH-DC Board members also attended the evening, and enjoyed dinner and lively discussion following Mr. Islam’s address.

We are grateful to Mr. Islam for joining us at the House and engaging with our resident scholars from around the world.  We firmly believe that our young international students are our future leaders and they greatly appreciate the ability to learn from those in Washington who have successfully navigated their own career paths.  We appreciate Mr. Islam’s willingness to share about his experiences and accomplishments with the next generation.

International Student House of Washington, DC (ISH-DC) resident scholars and alumni from around the world had an incredible evening hosted by His Excellency Kurt Jaeger, the Ambassador of the Principality of Liechtenstein. Ambassador Jaeger, along with his wife, Laurette, graciously welcomed us to their residence in mid-June for a summer “Happy Hour” to enjoy wonderful conversation and learn about Ambassador Jaeger’s work representing his country here in Washington.  Our resident scholars also learned many new facts about the incredible country of Liechtenstein as they spent the evening conversing with Ambassador and Mrs. Jaeger, as well at representatives from the Embassy.

International Student House actively promotes inter-cultural dialogue and building an international community, therefore we highly encourage our resident scholars to engage in the exciting networking opportunities that are often uniquely found in Washington.  We are immensely grateful to Ambassador Jaeger and the Embassy for such a kind welcome and giving our residents a perfect opportunity to engage in substantive conversation.  Not only were they able to hone their networking skills, but they also learned from the Ambassador’s expertise in both the public and private sectors.

What a wonderful evening to remember!