Where are you from? Iowa City, Iowa
Why did you choose Kirkwood? Because I am a non-native speaker. When I immigrated to the U.S., I chose Kirkwood because it has diversity in students population and there are different English Language Acquisition classes, and so I learned how to communicate before I studied my major.
What is your major and how did you choose it? My major is Administration Management. I like this major because I had relevant experiences in my home country, Sudan, that make me feel more comfortable and confident about my knowledge and skills.
What has been your proudest moment at Kirkwood? I felt proud when I learned English at Kirkwood, when I learned how to express myself, when I worked in a team and when I participated in conferences.
What are your plans after Kirkwood? I have many goals for my future. I would like to get a better job, where I help people. A better job would mean working less, which would give me more time to volunteer, helping the Sudanese community and people in Iowa City that have disabilities and donate to others in crisis. I would like to buy a house and reliable car and have a garden where I grow vegetables. I want to help my family to change their standard of living in the United States. For my career I would like to get a job working for non-profit organization to help women and children suffering from civil war. A scholarship would help me get closer to achieving my goals.
What inspires or motivates you? At first my classes in my major seemed very challenging to me. However, I was motivated by all kinds of support I received at Kirkwood: tutor services, Trio advising, library and computer lab. Activities and different clubs make it easy for me to make new friends.
Tell us about who you are outside of Kirkwood. In my free time I like to watch movies, talk with my family in Sudan, but most of all I like to help members of my community who need help.
What does being named an Outstanding Student mean to you?
An Outstanding Student award means I have succeeded and I feel proud that I have reached my goals and made my family and my community happy.
Is there anything else you’d like to add? Thank you very much for recognizing my hard work. I am really grateful and I feel even more encouraged to keep up working and I hope to graduate with honors.
Categories: Outstanding Students