Education USA Building Bridges between Caribbean Students and U.S. Higher Education

Regional Education Advising Coordinator for Education USA Maria Mercedes Salmon

Bridgetown Barbados…Jan. 28, 2013 — Though small in terms of population and geographical size, the Caribbean looms large when it comes to taking advantage of educational opportunities in the United States.

The Caribbean is one of the highest “sending regions” in the world to U.S. universities and colleges and Maria Mercedes Salmon, Regional Education Advising Coordinator for Education USA, intends to see that it remains so.

Speaking during a recent familiarization and networking trip to the region, Salmon said:

“Per capita, it’s very high compared to other huge regions or countries like Brazil – with the large population that they have, they are sending approximately 9,000 students a year. When you analyze that ratio, it’s much lower than what the Caribbean is sending.”

In fact, the Institute of International Education’s 2012 Open Doors report shows that there were 10, 987 Caribbean students in the United States last year. This topped the numbers from many other places with much larger populations such as Nigeria (7,028), Australia (3,848) and Germany (9,347).

U.S. Ambassador to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean Dr. Larry L. Palmer (right) meets with Maria Mercedes Salmon, Regional Education Advising Coordinator for Education USA during her recent visit to the Caribbean

Salmon would like to see even more Caribbean students in the United States – with the help of Education USA, which is a U.S. State Department-supported global network of student advising centers and the premier source for U.S. higher education information. There are seven Education USA centers in Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean – one each in Barbados, Antigua, Anguilla, Dominica, Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and St. Lucia.

She is eager to see these centers doing more outreach and connecting with potential students outside of the centers, which are based in community colleges and public libraries.

“Definitely outreach is something we want to emphasize. Because right now the students that we are working with, we need to be more out there and be where they want to be,” said Salmon, emphasizing that using technology and social media would be a part of this push.

The education expert also wants to increase the diversity of Caribbean students’ school choices, noting that due to historical and family ties, the vast majority of students pick schools in Florida or along the eastern seaboard.

“We want to also increase awareness that there are many other good schools in the U.S. that could be affordable for a family from [the region],” she said, adding:

“The U.S. wants to receive more international students from this region and not [just] in schools in Florida but also the Midwest for example which is a great place to be!”