International Student

I was interested in American culture and the concept of a liberal arts educations. There are a lot of stereotypes about American people—that they are very individualist, only minding their own business. But since I came to Sewanee, the American South, I have learned about this Southern hospitality. People are welcoming and open-minded. I don’t know about the whole South, but Sewanee is very open.

Everybody here made me feel at home. Even if someone didn’t know I was from Egypt, everyone has tried to help. I expected something different—that I would have to mind my own business. But we all seem connected. People offer me help before I even ask. In Egypt, we tend to help each other because we are one society. There’s a strong sense of that here.

It was tough at first. New culture, new food. As time passed, I felt more comfortable. My roommate and his family were very kind. They took me to lunch and offered help if I needed it. Back in Egypt, if you need anything, you just knock on a neighbor’s door.

I am Muslim, and we celebrated Eid al-Adha last month. It was my first feast away from home. I have another Muslim student friend here, and we had class together on this day. The professor and the class surprised us. The whole class and our mentor made us a cake, and we got to celebrate. I was speechless.