I was born and raised in a city called Tianjin, located in northern China. I had never left my family for long until I went to college in a southern city called Ningbo. Two years later, one more step to the U.S., to MTSU. And I am glad I took that step.

It still comes to my mind now and then, the day I landed in this beautiful place, where there’s a deep blue sky and endless grass, everything is so natural and bright. On the day of orientation, after a warm welcome from the international office, my friends and I filled the application form for the First Friends program. That is how we met Amy and Ric, our supper kind “American parents.” Their companion and support helped us gradually adapted our life in a foreign country. I learned to say “goodbye” and “Have a good day,” communicate or make appointments for office hours by email, things that we do in separate ways in China.

The school buses are convenient, and that is also where I made my first American friend. The Tuesday dinners offer a rare opportunity to engage with other international students and local families and practice our English. All these little shining spots make my time in MTSU so precious.

Besides classes, the instructors also email us about job opportunities and academic seminars. They really care about our success and generously offer their help to all the students. Even though we cannot meet in person this semester, high-quality materials were still able to be delivered by online tools and even better with the possibility of reviewing the recordings.

Honestly, I was so worried when Covid-19 first began, but MTSU gives me strength with the decisive actions of extending the spring break and starting remote delivery of the instruction. MTSU puts the safety of students and faculty first.

I wish I could stay a little longer at MTSU, but I am graduating this semester. MTSU embraces diversity and helps me understand my culture even better. I’m so glad that I came here and took MTSU as a part of my life.

Contributing writer Yuhang Mou is an International Student Ambassador and is majoring in Actuarial Science. 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.