I came from Saudi Arabia to pursue the career of my dreams, Aviation Management. What got me into the Aerospace industry is my dad because he is a pilot and I learned a lot from him. He inspired me to pursue a career in Aviation.

I decided to attend MTSU because it is the best Aerospace school in the United States, and I wanted to go to a state that I haven’t been to before. As international students, it is important to get involved on campus and organizations to get to know American friends and more countries such as Venezuela, Columbia, Germany, and a lot more.

Get involved with people as much as you can, so you don’t feel homesick. I got involved with the Muslim Students Association during my time at MTSU. I also use to meet people around campus—at Starbucks, the library, the student union, and classes as well. Now, I’m an international Student Ambassador.

MTSU’s Aerospace Department is the best in the nation. I liked that I got to fly, build a glider from wood, and a lot more. The faculty and staff are so welcoming, they all care about your success, and are always there to help you. The program will get you ready to be a successful person in the aviation industry, no matter what your concentration is—whether it is Professional Pilot, Management, Maintenance, Technology, or UAS.

Being an international student is difficult at first because you will be in a different country all by yourself not knowing anyone; but with the help and support of the international office, friends, and professors, you will get through it. I remember when I arrived at Murfreesboro, I didn’t know anyone. The day of orientation the international staff were so kind, welcoming, and to this day they are still checking up on me even though I graduated. I got to meet a lot of my friends at MTSU, who are still my friends until this day.

Every Tuesday night for all four years, I went to the international student dinner, where I get to meet lots of American families, and American friends, which helped me improve my English language skills even more. Also, every semester there is some sort of trip to lakes, museums, and many more activities for international students that you will get to make friends in no time.

I recommend MTSU to anybody who wants to go and study abroad because the community is so amazing and the tuition is acceptable compared to other schools in the U.S.

Murfreesboro is a small city, but it has everything you need, the parks and lakes are so tremendous, and it is a 30-minute drive to the music city, Nashville. Leaving my country and my family behind wasn’t easy. There were so many challenges and barriers, but with the help of the international office and friends, I made it through, and it was all worth it in the end.

“Studying abroad is the single most effective way of changing the way we view things.” -Chantal Mitchell

Contributing writer Nawaf Alogaily graduated in December 2019. He is part of the International Student Ambassador program that was launched in the Fall of 2020 by the Office of International Affairs. Ambassadors mentor incoming international students to help them adjust to the United States and give advice about getting involved on campus and how to be successful at MTSU.