Origin Stories
One of my favorite questions to ask my colleagues is what led them to their current career and how they got their start in the field of international education. I have yet to hear the same story twice, but one answer is almost always the same: they had no idea this type of job existed until they fell into it – and once they did, they were hooked. Another common thread that ties these tales is a culturally significant experience – a story of immigration, language acquisition, student exchange or travel. Something that broke a barrier or pushed a comfort zone and sparked curiosity, empathy, and a deep sense of being a minute part of a much larger and beautifully complex world.
My origin story is no different. I was a would-be medical student who sought refuge in the social sciences after organic chemistry – a restless 20-something who had just returned from a 4-month budget backpacking trip through the Middle East. My first job in the field, as an international student recruiter at a university, satisfied that residual wanderlust. But it also nurtured my resilience, honed my communication skills, and sharpened my attention to detail. All traits, I would come to realise, crucial to the work of international credential evaluation. Once I began the work, I quickly appreciated how important the work is and how important it will always be.
The terms assessment and evaluation are often used synonymously in our profession. However, I like that the word evaluation contains the word value. I evaluate international academic credentials to ensure that they are valued – they matter, they count, they can be used to empower and expand opportunities for those educated elsewhere. Because that is really what it is all about for me: the person behind the credential. My own business is a deliberately small one, based in a university town, and has human connection at its core. I am humbled and inspired by the stories, struggles, and successes of the teachers from Venezuela, doctors from Ukraine, high school graduates from Burkina Faso and countless others who have enriched my career and added to my own life story.
One of the things I love best about my work is that the ever-shifting landscape of international credentials keeps me learning and growing – challenged, in the best way. But like any work, international credential evaluation can be tedious and solitary. What grounds me – and simultaneously sustains me – is the group of intelligent, compassionate, and supportive like-minded colleagues, who not only make me a better evaluator, but a better person. That is why I was only too happy to connect with Bell-Wylie Consulting when I heard that my friend and colleague, Alistair, was launching a new consultancy. Better than any print or digital guide, our colleagues are truly our best resources. Our varied origins and winding paths have led to a collective fount of knowledge and experiences in one of the most generous fields I have the privilege to call my professional home.
An enthusiastic world traveller, meticulous researcher and devoted international educator, Karin founded One Earth International Credential Evaluations in 2010.
Recognising past accomplishments to help realise future goals, One Earth seeks to empower and expand opportunities for individuals educated outside of the United States.
With 20 years of experience in international student recruitment, university admission and international credential evaluation, Karin has evaluated tens of thousands of international academic credentials from more than 100 countries and enjoys learning something new every day.