08/09/2015
Important Social Studies & Geography lesson...
Although they are geographically close to Russia, the nations of Eastern Europe (particularly Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Moldova, Bulgaria, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic) are very different than Russia. They have different cultures, languages, currencies, civil liberties, and government practices than Russia.
The US has been a longtime supporter of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of these nations. Hundreds of Southwestern Advantage student reps are from universities throughout these nations. They're on this side of the Atlantic to experience our cultures while running a small business. They are each vetted by the U.S. Consulates in their home countries, are well trained, and have incredible stories to share. We are immensely proud to be associated with them.
Although we've made major progress, our nation still struggles with xenophobia – as demonstrated by the viral spreading of sensationalist Facebook posts that warn of a cold war-type threat in the neighborhood (it's actually just European college students selling kids’ books, not Red Dawn).
Thank you, on behalf of these students, to the many of you who have shown them hospitality and kindness. If you've met one of our European student reps, we would love to hear about it in the comments!