This week, I was able to meet up with Dina Adel, an international student who hails all the way from Cairo, Egypt to study here at Mizzou! On a scholarship that empowers women in the Middle East to further their education, Adel is an accomplished and worldly Mizzou student who studies Chemical and Nuclear Engineering.

HOMU: “So why Mizzou?"

Adel: “So I have a scholarship, and I was offered [to go to] several schools: one of them was the University of Louisiana, Arizona State University, Mizzou, and the other one I don’t remember honestly, but yeah. It’s a scholarship for empowering girls in the Middle East, so there are 60 girls here in the United States. Some of us are in Arizona, some are in New York, some are in Florida…we are all over the states I would say!

I Googled Mizzou and I found out there was a lot of stuff happening on campus, and I am really excited to see all of the different types of things that will go on here.

I also always knew that Midwestern people were more friendly, and they are definitely easy to get along with.

I like Mizzou, but Columbia, Missouri is kind of a boring city. But that’s fine, because I always travel during breaks; like I’ve been to Chicago over Thanksgiving break and I’m planning on going to New York for Christmas break. My friend, Ardella, she studies here at Mizzou―she is studying International Studies, and she is a really friendly person; she is very sweet, and I love her! She was the one who invited me to her house in Chicago. She lives in the south side of Chicago, so when I visited her, her family was super nice and super sweet. I loved it there.

So like I said, I chose Mizzou because of the area, and it has a lot of diversity. I’ve found people from China, people from Europe, people from other places, and I like the diversity here very much. I also really like the campus. I will be spending most of my time on campus here, so that’s why I chose a campus I felt comfortable at.

So yes, Mizzou was a perfect choice for me. Honestly, I love it here. There are so many activities going on, like Tiger Walk and seeing The Columns, and I love every part of the campus. And people are friendly (at least the people I have dealt with), and my experience has been good so far―I like it.“

HOMU: “Is this your first time coming to America as well?”

Adel: “Yes, this is my first time here in America. Also I am a freshman, and I will be a Chemical and Nuclear Engineer major. I came here because I wanted the experience―not only to study in a better place than back home, but also to meet people from different cultures and that kind of stuff.

And yes, it’s my first time in the United States, and there are a lot of things that are different. It was kind of hard adjusting at first because people back home, it’s not really an individualistic culture―it’s kind of like a collective culture that we have. People are always more in touch with each other, and it’s different. But here, it’s more about the individual, and you can do whatever you want.

Also the weather was an adjustment. Back home it’s really hot, it never gets this cold, it’s always more than 40 or 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

I am from Cairo, the capital of Egypt, and like I said, it’s a lot different, but I like it here―there is not a lot of noise and everyone has their own space.

The food, however, um, isn’t my favorite. I gained a lot of pounds *laughs*. The Mizzou 22, is that it? I think I fell for it!

Back home, the food is much better. Egyptian food has a lot of cooked vegetables, like peas and spinach, and we have more rice, less fats, less oil, less fat, less pizza―less everything that makes you gain weight! I mean I like the pizza. I tried the Chicago pizza that has many layers, and I enjoyed it very much.

But like I said, I miss the food back home a lot, and my family as well.”

HOMU: “So besides the food, what else do you miss from back home?"

Adel: “My family and my friends, because I have a twin sister, and I really do miss them a lot. It’s not the same without them here, but that’s fine, they always support me ―we Skype, and I am really grateful that my mom gave me this choice to do what I want to. She is brave to let me come here. Coming on my own, it wasn’t really that easy.

But like I said my friends, my family, the food, the weather, sometimes the noise―like I would wake up to city noise back home, but here it’s really quiet, and we have quiet hours!

Back home, the city would always be up until 2 or 3 AM. It could be really fun because I could go out any time between 8 and 9 PM, but here it’s more difficult ―you can’t usually go out alone, you have to find a ride, and restaurants and other things are usually closed unless it’s the weekend.

But back home, it’s not really the same. Everything is open until 3 AM, and I used to go out around 12. Cairo is more of a living city, and it’s not the same as Columbia."

HOMU: “So when is the next time you will be going home?”

Adel: “The next time I will be going home this summer break, so next June or July. But I am so excited I got to stay here over the break. I got to see a lot of new places, and I love it here."

HOMU: “That’s great! So is there anything else you would like to add?”

Adel: “Yeah, I want to say that for everyone out there, it’s fine if people don’t accept you. There’s always going to be other people that will accept you; you don’t have to give up searching for the right kind people that will treat you well. And my best advice for someone coming here for their first year, whether they are International students or just American, is to get out of your comfort zone! It’s really worth it, there’s a whole world outside of it, and don’t be scared to try any new experience.

College is always about new experiences, and not just for academics, but for other aspects of college life as well. And there are a lot of people out there always looking for new friends, like you. Also, you are not the only one who is trying to adjust. And you are never going to learn if you keep yourself in a corner―so get out of your comfort zone!"

Humans of Mizzou is a page on Facebook modeled after Brandon Stanton's viral "Humans of New York" project. The goal of the page is not only to share the stories of Mizzou students of all different backgrounds, but to also celebrate the unique and talented students who study at the University of Missouri. To see more interviews, click here: https://www.facebook.com/humansofmizzou/