On this last day of Immigrant Heritage Month (June 2022), this episode's guest is someone for whom all of the issues that we talk about on this show—being an international student, being an immigrant, being displaced and having to leave your homeland, and finding your place, voice and identity as a woman of color—are all lived experiences. Esther Benjamin is the CEO and Executive Director of World Education Services or WES, a non-profit social enterprise dedicated to helping international students, immigrants, and refugees achieve their educational and career goals in the United States and Canada. A first-generation immigrant to the U.S., Esther is a fearless leader whose work has spanned multiple sectors and world regions, including serving under two previous US administrations and overseeing the Peace Corps program in almost 80 countries. Immediately prior to joining WES, Esther worked with Laureate Education, Inc., as CEO for Africa Operations, and as CEO of Monash South Africa, Laureate’s first university in Sub-Saharan Africa, with nearly 4,000 students from throughout Africa.
Episode Themes:
How Esther's work across different sectors—public, private, and civil society—and serving under two previous administrations has been grounded in the idea of creating and scaling social impact
How Esther and her family's journey from Sri Lanka to the U.S. as international students and immigrants has shaped her life and career, and especially her work with WES which opens the door for international students, refugees and immigrants
Esther's leadership in a new role at the start of COVID-19, and how she led the organization through pivoting and adapting during the pandemic
The Mariam Assefa Fund, the philanthropic arm of WES, and the critical investments it is making in creating positive change for refugee and immigrant groups
How an organization like WES embodies the ideals of diversity, access and inclusion in internally as an organization
Esther's professional and leadership journey as an immigrant, a woman, and a person of color, and her leadership advice for women
What to read when you're vacationing on a houseboat in Kerala: hear Esther's recommendations!
Episode Resources:
Connect with Esther: LinkedIn, Twitter
My book: America Calling: A Foreign Student in a Country of Possibility
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LinkedIn: @rajikabhandari
Twitter: @rajikabhandari
