For DR.SAMUELSON

When I was 12 years old until 16 years old I was like to stay alone in my rom and do not talk with any body such as my family and my friends. Let me tall you my story, my mother from Syria and my father from Saudi Arabia, so my skin color is white like my mother family, my hear is brown like my mother family, my accent was mix between Saudi accent and Syrian accent, so I was a litter different look to my brothers and I was different to my friends In my school in Saudi Arabia. So that why I was like to stay alone. My family was scared to me, and always asked me to go out with them but always I said “No I want to stay in my room” I had many of the video games such as PlayStation and Xbox, so I was addicted to play video gams and stay for 10 hours continual. That was bad for my health, bad for my ayes and bad for my ears because I used the headphones. There are many of my friends have hearing less and they have a low vision because the light of the TV is so shining. So when I have 16 years old I was thinking about what I do and what I did to my body, so I started to change my self to better and start to talk with other people, hangout with my family and have a new friend. My family was happy for me and for what I did to change my self. That was my bad moments because I didn’t take care to my body and my brain.

When I was in the high school in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, my friend and I were thinking to study abroad but in different country he wanted to study civil engineering in U.K because he likes the British culture and I wanted to study business major in U.S because I like the American culture. So we asked our parents about our idea to study abroad. My father agreed with this idea but Yazeed father disagreed with that, because his father was scared for Yazeed to study abroad, also Yazeed he is the eldest son in his family so that is why his father disagreed. I was so exited and happy to study abroad, but at the same time I was sad for my friend because he cannot study in U.K. However, I started to look at the universities in the U.S. and what the good choice for my major business. I sent all my documents to the USU Admissions department for the acceptance letter. Also, I started sent my passport to the U.S. embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia for get the student Visa. Finally, in November 2013 I got my acceptance letter and my passport with the visa. Moreover, I search to anyone In Logan can help me to find an apartment to I can live in it, I found a page in Facebook called Saudi student club at Utah State University (SSCAUSU). So I sent email for them about looking for anyone can help me. I received answer from them said “ welcome to USU and we will help you with anything you need. Also, we will be in the airport to take you to Logan and your apartment.” So when I received that email I think now I am ready to leave my family and my country, that moment was really sad to me because I will leave my family for five years. On December 15, 2013 I arrived to U.S. and at the airport I found one of the Saudi club waiting to take me to Logan City. So I cannot forget them help when I arrived to U.S.

On January 5, 2014 I tested the language test at IELI program. Than I received the score and got the first level of the program, because I did not have a good English to I can start studying my major. I met new friends in the IELI program from different countries, for example, from Dominican Republic, China, Japan and other countries. The first day of the school was on January 6, 2014. I met the professors in the school and they was really respected me and welcomed me. In that time I was scared because I thought every body will laughing on me because I don’t have a good English to speak with them. So my professor Jim Bame he helped me with that problem and told me “If you will staying scared, you will not learn anything. So be confident of yourself and start take off that fear from inside your brain” Day after day I learned something new and speak with out any fear. I cannot forget what the professor Jim did for me. When I was in the IELI program the professor gave us many information about the majors in USU and told us everything about the majors in the USU. So I was thinking about Computer Science because I like the technology and everything new in the technology world, such as, phone, computers and cameras. I asked my professors about that major. They helped me and gave me everything I need to know about that major. So I just change my major to Computer Science. On May 5, 2015 I done with the IELI program and start studying my major.

I have studied at IELI program for one year and half year (18 months). That year and half was my best experience in my life because I got many experience. Such as, learned new language, meet new friends, and self-reliance. I was alone with out any member of my family but I met friends they are like my brothers and my family, they helped me a lot and we had and still have fun and trust between each other. May God bless my friends.

My real life started from16 years old. It was time to be a man and its time to think what I will be in the future. Leave my family and my country, studying at the U.S, learned new language, have many experience and self-reliance, met friends who I can trust, and met professors who change my life for the better. I never can forget those people in my life. I do not regret the moment that I decided to study abroad.