A trailblazer within the subject of worldwide credential analysis and recognition and immigrant and refugee help, Assefa devoted an unbelievable 38 years to main WES earlier than retiring in 2019.
Underneath her management and since her departure, WES has supported tens of millions of immigrants and refugees by offering trusted credential analysis companies, empowering them to unlock new alternatives in schooling, employment, and past.
Assefa’s distinguished profession consists of serving as president of NAFSA in 2006 and dealing as a guide for the US authorities, by means of which she contributed considerably to efforts targeted on the popularity of educational credentials throughout Africa, Asia, and Europe.
Upon Assefa’s retirement, the WES Mariam Assefa Fund was established to help catalytic efforts to create extra inclusive economies for immigrants and refugees within the US and Canada, in search of to take a position over $50 million into immigrant and refugee leaders and communities.
Her visionary work has left an indelible mark on the sector, incomes her the well-deserved accolade, introduced on the Boston convention in November 2024.
“[The award] is a chance for me mirror on my profession at WES, the evolution of credential analysis, and the work that we did to assist worldwide college students and expert immigrants achieve recognition for his or her {qualifications},” mentioned Assefa.
“Because the demand for credential analysis elevated, WES adopted progressive expertise and developed our personal analysis platform. WES additionally participated within the main discussions on credential analysis, carried out analysis, tracked developments in schooling worldwide, and disseminated our findings by way of WENR and our WES Webinar Sequence.
“Within the closing section of my tenure at WES, we constructed the WES International Expertise Bridge program to allow expert immigrants to navigate the job market and take their closing steps in direction of integration.“
Collectively we constructed WES into a number one and influential organisation that helped tens of millions of immigrants and college students achieve recognition for his or her academic {qualifications}
Mariam Assefa, WES
Assefa paid explicit homage to the numerous colleagues she labored with over her profession.
“All through my profession at WES, I had the good fortune of working with a gifted and artistic staff devoted to our mission, and in addition loved the help of a visionary board of administrators. Collectively we constructed WES into a number one and influential organisation that helped tens of millions of immigrants and college students achieve recognition for his or her academic {qualifications} whereas sustaining the very best requirements of high quality,” she mentioned.
“I wish to share The PIE Lifetime Impression Award with the great staff that helped me construct WES into the organisation that it has grow to be.”
