Bits ‘n’ Pieces: Scottish student feels at home at Clark College

For most of us, Clark College is the place of higher learning just around the corner. For Megan Waugh, it’s an entirely new corner of the world.

Waugh is the recipient of an international scholarship which lets her spend an academic year studying at Clark College. She will be studying business administration. Waugh is a student through West Lothian College in her hometown of Livingston, Scotland, about a half-hour outside Edinburgh.

It’s about 4,588 miles from Vancouver to West Lothian College, or a 12-hour flight.

“The opportunity of applying for the scholarship was sent to me by my lecturer Beth Brownlee. I had never previously heard of Clark College or Vancouver, Washington but was excited about the prospect of studying abroad!” Waugh wrote via email.

“I am particularly interested in accounting, as I wish to pursue a career in the financial industry once I have completed my degree.” She remarked that Clark College shares many similarities to her Scottish college: both have similar classes sizes and programs of study, but “Clark College as a whole is a lot bigger,” she said. West Lothian College has around 8,000 students and offers many continuing education courses.

Waugh even met Clark College President Bob Knight during his Scottish summer vacation. Waugh joins a group of fall international students at Clark College that include students from Nepal, Malaysia and Chile.

As part of Clark’s international student program, students stay with a host family. “I am currently living with a woman called Jennifer McDonald, who has Scottish roots, so it’s very fitting,” wrote Waugh. “All her family have been busy showing me around Vancouver and Portland.” While she’s visited the United States before, Waugh is new to the West Coast, so she hopes to visit the top of Mount Hood in Oregon, hike around Portland and maybe make it up to Canada during school vacation.

“I was super excited about being given the once in a lifetime opportunity, but also really nervous at the fact I had to leave all my family and friends back home,” she wrote.

“I was surprised with how kind and generous everyone had been since I moved here! Everyone I’ve met has been so nice and welcoming to me. It’s made the move here so much easier.”

Bits ‘n’ Pieces appears Fridays and Saturdays. If you have a story you’d like to share, email bits@columbian.com.