The Graduate School and International Education at the U of A recently hosted a representative from the Bahamas Consulate General to campus to meet U of A Bahamian students and discuss collaboration opportunities with GSIE leadership.

Sharine Poitier-Johnson, consul for education affairs from the Bahamas Consulate General in Atlanta, traveled to the U of A earlier this semester. During the visit, she toured campus and met with students from the Bahamas to learn about their experiences studying at the U of A.

She also engaged in discussions with GSIE leaders including Dean Ed Pohl, Associate Dean Lindsey Aloia and Assistant Dean Patricia Gamboa, as well as meetings with staff from the Office of Sponsored Students and Special Programs, Office of International Students and Scholars and the Kristen Collier Wright Office of Study Abroad and International Exchange.

"It was an honor to host Consul Poitier-Johnson and be able to highlight all the services, support and learning opportunities our campus and surrounding community has to offer," said Rebecca Carpenter de Cortina, director of sponsored students and special programs. "We look forward to strengthening our partnership even more so we can continue to welcome and support current and future Bahamian students here at the University of Arkansas."

The visit followed a trip by Aloia and Carpenter de Cortina to Washington, D.C., last fall, where they met with Bahamian officials among other international partners. Following the meeting, they connected with Poitier-Johnson and invited her to visit.

The visit comes as the U of A seeks to strengthen ties with the Caribbean nation. GSIE plans to attend a college fair in Nassau later this year, as well as a follow-up visit to the country. 

"Our hope is to go in the near future so we can learn more about how to best serve Bahamian students and their families," Carpenter de Cortina said. "We are also hoping to have virtual meetings with high school counselors, students and parents to share more about the robust services, support and resources we provide here at the U of A."

"During my visit to campus, I was able to interact and hear from Bahamians students attending the U of A," Poitier-Johnson said. "We look forward to continuing to form a strong partnership between the Bahamas and the U of A."

The Bahamas Consulate General in Atlanta was established in August of 2009 to cultivate partnerships with state and local officials in the southern United States. The consulate general extends services to both Bahamians and U.S. citizens encompassing Arkansas, Georgia, Alabama, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee.