International Community

Grzegorz or Greg, (he/him/his) received his MSC in Poland majoring in horticulture, as the first in his family to receive a college degree. He started his international career at The Ohio State University in 2003 within the College of Food, Agriculture and Environmental Sciences. He was heavily involved in international student exchanges, agricultural internships, visas, recruitment, domestic and international programming. He established exchange programs and visited colleges in dozens of countries all over the world.

Greg joined Whitman College in December 2019 because of Whitman’s academic reputation, attractive location and growing international student population.

Greg loves being outside, whether it is gardening, camping or kayaking. He also enjoys cooking, especially baking various types of breads.

You can get in touch with Greg at 509-527-5005 or leckige@whitman.edu.

My name is Borniface Kabongo from Zambia. I am the 2020-2021 International Programs Inclusion & Glover Alston Management Fellow and my roles include collaborating and working under the mentorship of Greg Lecki as well as the rest of the Intercultural office leadership. I am majoring in Biology, Chemistry and minoring in Chinese hoping to explore Medicine and Research. I am a lover of books, travel and Jazz. New Orleans captured my soul in every way. I have found a home within the international student community at Whitman and I am grateful for the support we continue to receive from each other and the Intercultural Office.

I am from Pretoria, South Africa. I recently declared my major in Race and Ethnics Studies, I am currently debating on adding a minor in Politics. My favorite hobby is sewing and crocheting outfits, even though I have a love-hate relationship with getting the correct measurements! What makes the international student experience unique at Whitman is the close knit community of international students, with whom I share many common experiences with. The support that I receive from this community provides a home away from home for which I am very grateful for.

Hi! My name is Nomonde and I am a sophomore psychology major from Zimbabwe. I am a big fan of traveling to new countries whenever I get the opportunity to do so. For the most part, I like to spend time with my friends trying out new restaurants. What makes my international student experience here unique could be the fact that currently I am the only Zimbabwean at Whitman, so I get the chance to let those who are interested know and learn more about where I come from and my culture.

I was born in Xiamen, China, a city in southeastern China. I am double majoring in physics and mathematics and am hoping to pursue physics in the future. During my free time, I like to play acoustic guitar, although I've begun to be drawn to flamenco style after taking a course on that here at Whitman.

Hello, my name is Marharyta, and I am an international student from Belarus! I am in the class of 2024 and yet to declare my major. However, I am leaning towards Environmental Studies and Biology as my sphere of interest and a future major. In my spare time, you will spot me reading a book, dancing to my favorite songs, or cloud gazing! My favorite part about Whitman is the diversity of the student body that consolidates so many unique stories, so you are proud to be a Whittie, a part of a close-knit extraordinary family!

My parents are from the US, but I grew up in Hong Kong. I'm majoring in History and Chinese. I love running, watching you tube and eating sweet things. Being a third culture kid it was a bit awkward trying to find my place on campus at first, but I feel like I've found a home here.

I am Tejashree Jadhav, first year at Whitman. I come from Pune, a city in Western India. I am intending to major in Psychology. I enjoy creative writing and poetry. I also love to take walks in the town and Walla Walla is surely the place to enjoy strolls and watch the sky change colours as the sun sets. I am looking forward to my years at Whitman.