Instructor Spotlight

International Student Support

No matter where you’re from, the International Programs team is here to help you succeed. Our office offers:

• A comprehensive new-student orientation to help you tackle the logistics and details of studying in the U.S.

• Tailored academic advising to help you meet your individual goals

• Access to all the tools you’ll need to be successful in a U.S. classroom and beyond, including our Career Services office

• Visa support and guidance and access to international student health insurance

• Local networking and volunteering opportunities so you can make impactful, deep connections with the UCLA community

• Excursions and activities featuring the most iconic destinations in Los Angeles, including hikes to the Hollywood sign and trips to sunny California beaches

Sarita D. Jackson, PhD

Ms. Jackson is president and CEO of the Global Research Institute of International Trade (GRIIT). She assists business owners with increasing their profits by exporting to the global market. Dr. Jackson has served as a trade policy consultant throughout Latin America, the Caribbean and Southern Africa. Prior to founding GRIIT, Dr. Jackson was a tenured associate professor. She is a former Fulbright Scholar, and her work has been published in a number of academic journals nationally and internationally. Her second book, International Trade in Services: Effective Practice and Policy, was recently published by Routledge Taylor and Francis Group. Dr. Jackson speaks English and Spanish. She received her BA in Journalism and Spanish from USC and PhD from Brown University.

Domestic and International Programs

In addition to supporting internationally based clients, our team also proudly supports domestic organizations large and small. We bring UCLA-caliber education with a comprehensive, flexible approach. Choose any topic, from our 4,000+ courses, or build a completely custom program. From one-day seminars to credit-bearing courses and certificates, choose a format that fits your needs. Our industry-expert instructors focus on immediate application, equipping learners with the tools and insights to put learning into practice. And with onsite, on-campus, and online options, we can support any learner any time.

Instructor Spotlight

Dr. Shanell Leggins MA EdD

Dr. Leggins has worked in the field of education for 22+ years and as a counselor for over 17 years. Her counseling experience spans from public, private, domestic, and abroad. Since 2015, she has emphasized her background and professional experiences in her role as a UCLA Extension Instructor within the College Counseling Certificate program. She has taught several webinars and courses including, “The College Admissions Process”, “College Counseling for International Students”; as well as authored the first of its kind boot camp course, “Introduction to College Admissions”. She is a member of the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC), International Association for College Admission Counseling, and Western Association of College Admission Counseling (WACAC).

Dr. Leggins is an active volunteer and currently serves on various committees within her professional affiliations, including NACAC, WACAC, International ACAC, and International School Services (ISS)Diversity Collaborative. Her philosophy of teaching is based on a belief that learning needs to be student centered and that students need to be equal partners in the learning process. She imparts her expertise to ensure that the students are well equipped to find and evaluate the resources they need to answer their questions. She believes students are entitled to quality instruction in an active and stimulating learning environment. Students should experience frequent and repeated opportunities to act, react, and interact with each other and the instructor. Curriculum materials should be timely and relevant. Lastly, standards of excellence high, yet attainable—should be used to facilitate optimal student learning. Dr. Leggins holds an EdD in Educational Leadership with an emphasis in Educational Psychology from the University of Southern California, MA in School Counseling from Loyola Marymount University, BA in Sociology from California State University, Dominguez Hills, and a College Counseling Certificate from UCLA Extension.