International students, Reflection, Student experience

A Dream of a Better Tomorrow

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By Mohammad Omar Ahmadi

English Language Program

Fall 2022

It was August 15, 2021.  Everything seemed normal in the morning, but things suddenly changed later in the day. I went to my work like I was doing every other day in the morning. Everyone was talking about the news Afghanistan’s president fled. In the past few months, the government situation was uncertain because every day we witnessed fallen cities to the Taliban. Only Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan,  and a few other cities near Kabul were governed by the previous government. Then in the afternoon, we head of the Taliban’s entrance to Kabul. My father was working with a U.S. media company in Kabul, which finally succeeded in helping us leave Afghanistan after many attempts. It was hard to leave Afghanistan physically and mentally.

Education was always a priority in my life. After graduating from high school and earning an associate degree in technology, both my homeland’s history and the ongoing political conflicts in Afghanistan motivated me to pursue my higher education in International Relations and Diplomacy. As a young Afghan, I always dreamed of being able to one day, as a seed for a new Afghanistan, open the door to peace in the midst of war and terrorism by choosing to pursue my education. It was a dream that I, and a thousand of my classmates, had for Afghanistan. It was not just a dream, we believed that one day it would happen, and our homeland would move towards the light of peace and prosperity. But all of a sudden, it got dark. On the 15th of August 2021, everything collapsed, despite the entire twenty-year journey of fighting against the Taliban. My family and I had to emigrate for our lives.

After defending my monograph online from the United States, my four-year study of international relations and diplomacy came to an end, and I graduated from university in exile. It was a strange state of joy and pain. Like any other human being, I was happy that I finished my bachelor’s degree and was gradually coming closer to my dreams, but it was painful that the ideal I had envisioned for my homeland no longer existed. I had my diploma in hand, but I had lost my homeland.

The four-year journey to receive my bachelor’s degree was not easy for me. Even as a young child in the family, I always had a responsibility to financially contribute to the family in addition to my studies. Therefore, while continuing my college education, I started working with a telecommunications company in Afghanistan. I worked with this company daily from morning to afternoon for a small salary, and I went to university in the evening after work. This was how my entire four-year journey went. I remember the nights that I was awake until late at night to attend to my studies and then got up early in the morning to go to work in order to support my family. It was a difficult time, but the dream of a better tomorrow was the motivation that kept me moving and working hard to complete my education.

I always tried to find good educational opportunities for my future. Even when I was in Afghanistan, I dreamed of being among the graduates of the Fulbright Scholarship, and I was always striving to qualify for an international scholarship to pursue a master’s degree abroad. I have come to understand that Afghanistan needs more people with sufficient knowledge of the world and the realities of our country. Our homeland is far from being the caravan of progress and development in the world, and the main reason for this distance is the illiteracy of a large number of Afghans. I considered it my responsibility in Afghanistan to study and be as literate as possible.

When we immigrated, all my dreams for Afghanistan were gradually becoming memories. During my first months in the United States, I had the impression that living in an immigrant land consisted of only constantly working just to keep the family alive. The situation in my homeland took away all my hopes for the future since it was hard to believe that one day it would change again. The hopes for Afghanistan’s future are diminishing day by day. But my concerns for the future of Afghanistan are still present, and with each day they grow more.  I have decided to continue my path and chose Afghanistan’s future. Whatever happens, I still hope and believe in a better tomorrow for my homeland, so I will continue my education. As a former student of international relations, I have learned that regimes like the Taliban that impose themselves on nations will not last long. From my understanding of the contemporary history of Afghanistan, it is clear to me that these times in history are passing, and people will one day decide their own destinies again. With this belief, I have decided to continue my education to change my own destiny.

Reflection, Student Essays, Student experience

Best Study Abroad Experience of My Life

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By Rena Kondo

English Language Program

Fall 2022

Studying abroad has changed my personality. Before I came to Chatham University, I was neither talkative nor optimistic. I am a shy person and worry about anything. For example, I am waiting just for someone to talk to me while I want to talk to them. Also, I am not a risk taker so if I see a risk of making a mistake, I wait and delay my action every time. I am still nervous, but I am trying to challenge myself more than before. I’ve decided never to think I have more time to do something in the future. If I did not act, I could not do it forever. So I acted. I said “Hi” to international students , and we’ve become closer to each other. I joined an activity outside of Chatham University to explore my experience. I made friends from more than 10 foreign countries. I want to tell my past self, “You will have many more  friends than you expected.” I learned there is no difference between friends even when we are from different countries. We can be friends and spend our time in the same way as with friends from the same country.

Moreover, my friends have helped me to be more positive. One international friend who I met here shared her experience that changed my thoughts. When she came here, she spoke English without confidence. She worried about her English ability when talking to American people. One day, she talked to a friend who lives in the United States. She said, “My English is not good, I’m sorry” before starting the conversation. Her American friend said to her “You mustn’t say my English is not good. You know more than two languages., It’s amazing.”  When I heard this experience, I also thought I was good at speaking in English, but I could try to talk and improve my confidence. My friend was also in the same situation, but she could overcome her shyness.  Now, I am going to go to the next step like she did.

Personally, this is the second time I’ve studied abroad.  However, the first time was not what I wanted because of Covid-19. My previous plan was staying in Australia for 9 months, but after only 1 month, I stopped the program and returned home. For studying abroad, I took TOEFL more than 20 times. If I could not get a high score, I could not study abroad. To get a good TOEFL score, I dedicated much time. When I was going to return to Japan, I could not believe it and kept asking myself, “Why did I lose all of the opportunities while not doing anything bad? Why?” I was waiting for my next studying abroad experience. I was not just waiting without doing anything. I took English classes and tried IELTS and TOEIC. Also, I tried TOEFL again from the beginning. It was the hardest part because I only had one chance. Failure was not an option.

I went through every wall, and I could finally get the opportunity of studying abroad. It was time to choose country, but I did not want to go to the United States because of my fear of guns. However, since the United States opened its border, so I chose the United States reluctantly.  Before I came here, I worried about safety and security. However, when I met the staff from the Office of International Affairs, I started to like American people and the city. A few days later, I met Chatham staff and students, they said to me, “Welcome to Chatham!” My image of the United States completely changed with a 180-degree turn. Now, I can say the reason why my first study abroad stopped in the middle was for me to get here, the United States, with a positive mind.

Everything is happy for me here. It is not only traveling to another state with my friends but also some difficulties I face and overcome. I first must study English, do homework and exams as well as do laundry, go to grocery store, and manage myself without my parents’ help. Sometimes I cannot sleep well during the week, and it is extremely exhausting. I do not know why, but I still feel fulfilled. I can say being busy is happiness.

I have now realized that my choice was not wrong. If someone does something before me, it does not mean I’m behind them. Thanks to Covid-19, I now have an experience of studying abroad in the US and  confidence to pass the TOEFL exam for the second attempt. In fact, I postponed graduating from my university by 2 years. My friends of the same age already started to work more than 2 years ago. Some friends studied abroad and have graduated as usual. During the days, I was thinking why these bad things happened only to me. However, if I had given up a second chance of studying abroad, I might regret it and blame it for not challenging myself. I learned that I must do what I want now without comparing myself with someone else.

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Reward Yourself

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Marwa Rahim

By Marwa Rahim

English Language Program

Fall 2022

I grew up as a normal child in my home country. I had a good childhood. While sometimes it was difficult, I just did not care because I was just a child who did not know the good and the bad in the world yet. As a child I was certain about one thing in my life: I would not have a normal life just like other people in my hometown. My  mother’s work always encouraged as she was an activist and a teacher in our province, and she had a significant role in our community and family education. So, I decided by myself at a noticeably early age of 11 or 12 that I would make a change, even a ridiculously small change, on my life one other person. I dreamed of becoming a doctor, which remained my one and only childhood dream, and wanted to have a doctor’s office and save as many lives as I could because of our country’s situation.  I remember that whenever we played games with my childhood friends, I always had a doctor’s role and help my friends,

I had lots of activities during my high school. I played a significant role in every event in school, and I was the presenter for all those events, even for our graduation party. I prepared a topic for all my classmates. I had interviews with our local radio and TV shows for women and children’s rights. Despite all of the difficulties in my home city in northern Afghanistan, I graduated from high school. However, there was no medical school and few opportunities to chase my goals, so I decided, or may I say my parents decided, that it would be better for me to move to another city. So I moved to a bigger city named Balkh and my medical school journey started.

I was the happiest person on earth at that time and my medical school was the best school for me, and everything was surprisingly good for me because I had the chance to study medicine, which was also a dream for all my classmates. On the first day of my medical school, our professor asked us about our plans, so I spoke louder and talked more about my plans and dreams. I said that after I graduated from the medical school, I would like to become a cardiologist and a heart surgeon because I never saw a woman surgeon in my province and to help women and children in my home country.

In 2021, I started my 7th semester of medical school. I said to myself that I did it, I passed half of the way of my journey, and I was close to achieving my dreams. Unfortunately, the situation in my country did not allow me to continue that dream anymore. I had to leave to be safe and have a future for us, for our families, and our children. During that time, I lost everything except my dreams. I came to the U.S. with only one backpack, but as I know myself, I am not that person to give up easily.  I promised to myself that I would make a change to women’s life in my country and I would be their voice and fight for women’s rights. Obviously I am thinking that I am becoming a feminist day by day.

I came to the US, and I tried to work hard and achieve what I wanted to be and my goals. Currently I am taking English academic classes at Chatham university at Pittsburgh PA, millions, and millions miles from my home country and hometown. There are many things that I am grateful for in my life since I came to the USA. I met people from all over the world with a different languages and appearances, and it was surprising to me first. I  never met people from another countries like Japan in my home country. My goals are to finish the English academic classes and apply to one of the medical school pathways for medical universities in USA.

Life hasn’t been essay  for me. I know everyone is struggling with a lot in their lives right now and it is hard to start your life from zero and left everything behind. It takes time, so we all should be patient and continue to work hard. Everyone has their own dreams and thoughts. We should never stop being who we are and what we want to be, and in the end we are all humans who work together for this land that has become home for all of us.

Student Essays

Just One Day

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By Habibullah Sorosh

English Language Program

Fall 2022

He has messy hair and a long beard, big eyes, and an angry face. He points his gun at me. He wants to shoot me, and he shouts loudly in Pashto, “Are you Habib Sorosh?” I deny it. He slaps me hard on the face, I’m shaking with fear, and he points his gun at me again and says, in a loud voice, “Say I’m Habib Sorosh.” My hands are shaking. I want to scream. He puts his hand on my mouth. It prevents me from screaming. I’m suffocating, gasping for breath, and with effort I can remove his rough hands from my mouth. He screams for the third time, “You have become an infidel, and you deserve to die.” He aims his gun at me and fires. I wake up screaming. My wife asks me, “Did you have the nightmare of the Taliban again?” I laugh, and I shake my head in agreement. She smiles at me and closes her eyes again.

I wipe the sweat from my brow and chin. I am looking at the clock. It is five o’clock in the morning. I want to write and turn on my laptop. I stare at the folder labeled “Policy Course on Playwriting.” Beautiful and unforgettable memories of Kabul University are imprinted in my mind. What a glorious name, “Kabul University,” which used to draw the biggest dreams for me. With a hungry stomach and the smallest facilities, I was flying in the imaginary sky in sync with the dreams. What plans and maps I drew for my future! What hardships, inequalities, discrimination, and bigotry I had experienced to reach the position of professor at Kabul University. Overcoming these problems increased the value of being a professor, and I vowed to fight decisively against the monsters of bigotry, jealousy, ethnocentrism, gender inequality, and ignorance.

I believe that Afghans’ fate is linked to homelessness, displacement, and emigration. Look at how quickly and unexpectedly the storm of events destroys and disintegrates the loving center of Afghan families and takes them away from the best supports of their existence. Moments of living together, laughing, serenity, and intimacy fade into memory, giving way to dreams, nostalgia, complications, and, finally, excruciating pain. Afghans, wherever they are, miss those who can’t be wanted and those who can’t be had. They can only miss them and long to meet them. Afghans may have brought their bodies to New York, Berlin, Paris, Sydney, and Tehran, but their souls are still full of smoke and gunpowder in the back alleys of Kabul, and their ears are still filled with screams and moans. Wherever Afghans go, they worry about the city where they have created memories for years and are waiting for the political situation of their country to improve. I miss Kabul University and my classroom. I miss playwriting lessons. I miss story writing and reading, and I miss discussions in the classroom with the extent of this strange city’s nostalgia.

I pick up my phone and call my friend, who was my colleague at Kabul University and now lives in Germany. He misses the university and feels homeless, but he expects the country’s political situation to improve. He sighs and says, “Damn me for leaving Afghanistan.” I tell him, “If you had stayed in Afghanistan, maybe the Taliban would have killed you.” He answers with a disappointed and a slowly rising tone, “The Taliban killed me once. Now the moments of waiting will gradually kill me.” I understand that the person waiting is always protesting. In the nights, the stars burn with pain, the clouds cry, the leaves tremble with fear, and the person waits for dawn with silent cries. My friend asks, “How are you living in America?” I tell him, “I am living contrary to my imagination.” He laughs and continues, “I don’t understand what you mean.” I explain to him that I used to think that it was very difficult to learn a language, study, work, and live abroad, but when I entered the United States of America, I was able to learn the language, work, research, and learn easily. The culture, mutual respect, humanity, sincerity, and honesty of these people teach me about humanity. He interrupts me again and says, “Germany is a beautiful place with kind people. I became fascinated by the culture of these people.” He laughs again and says, “But nowhere will we forget our own country, where we made lifelong memories.” We say goodbye together, and I check my Facebook and see that many of my friends have reported the explosion at the Kaj educational center in the Dasht Barchi area of Kabul. My hands are trembling. I try to look at the pictures of the dead and injured, but I can’t. A strange feeling has occurred to me, as if my existence is witnessing a bad event, as if I believe I am among the dead and injured and searching for one of my family members.

My phone rings, and I answer. It is my brother. Without greeting, I ask him, “What’s up? Did something happen to the family?” He answers in a broken tone, “Yes, Rahila, the daughter of our uncle, has been killed.” I can’t talk. I hang up my phone. I cry, and I curse the perpetrators of these suicide attacks who took our best friends and family away from us in these two decades. Rahila was the eldest child of a poor family of eight people. Her father is sick, and he has a disabled son at home who cannot afford to be treated. Her unfortunate mother does all the housework, from farming to cooking and providing food. Rahila’s mother bore all the hardships of the time alone with farming. She paid for Rahila’s course fee so that she could study for the university entrance exam and become a doctor and treat her brother. Regrettably, Rahila took her mother’s precious efforts and her dreams to the grave with her. The wishes of Rahila’s mother and Rahila’s wishes are sleeping forever in the heart of the cold soil. Her death is a painful wound that will never heal, and it is sucking the bone marrow of Rahila’s mother and father until they die. Rahila and her dreams burned down in one moment at Kaj Educational Center. What I’m writing isn’t a script, a dream, or an illusion. It’s real, a reality that defies human imagination, a reality that concepts are unable to express and the camera is ashamed to depict. The camera’s eyes are too innocent to bear and see this moral disaster and human sin, and by writing, I am also betraying the victims of this disaster. What is happening here (Dasht Barchi) cannot be “written.” My tears don’t allow me to write, and I whisper under my breath, “This is the fate of a Hazara family that pays a high price for knowledge.”

As a member of Rahila’s family, I mourn her absence. I am ashamed that Afghan girls see and endure so much abuse, humiliation, and insults from the patriarchal society of Afghanistan. One of these victims of violence and deprivation was Rahila, who had risen from the storm of war and gender inequality. Her education and knowledge were her love, a love that cost her dearly. She has been resting peacefully in the village cemetery.

International students, Reflection, Student Essays, Student experience

A Great Friend I Met in Pittsburgh

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By Yuki Katayama 

English Language Program

Fall 2022

“How great view is it?” I thought in my mind. I was impressed by the magnificent scenery, and I wanted to show the beauty to my precious friend. 

In May 2022, I came to Pittsburgh. Since then, I have visited many restaurants to eat American style hamburgers or tacos, watched Jurassic Park at AMC Waterfront 22, and been to Point State Park to watch marvelous fireworks on the Fourth of July. However, in July, I felt little tired of Pittsburgh because I ended up going to almost all the fun places in this small city. I started to seek new places that would excite me to visit. 

One day in July, a classmate from my first semester in the U.S. invited me to do something different. “Do you know Prism which is an international student community? Why don’t you go to bible study with me tonight?” she asked. I suspected bible study would be challenging for me since religious stuff was not familiar to Japanese people like me. Yet, I expected to gain a new experience and decided to participate in it. “Sounds cool! I want to go there!” I responded. After classes, we went to a house that held bible study sessions. I was somewhat nervous before entering the room. There were three volunteers, among whom Mike was especially gentle and friendly. He is American, but spoke slowly for us to help us understand the meaning of the sentences in the bible. The topic of that bible study session was “LOVE.” I don’t remember the details, but I learned the importance of giving unconditional love to those close to me. The value was brand-new and greatly inspired me. My first day with Prism was unexpectedly amazing, and I wanted to keep participating in their activities. 

The following Wednesday, I went to bible study again. At the beginning of the study session, Mike asked us, “Do you believe in resurrection?” I didn’t understand the word and asked, “What is the meaning of resurrection?” “Resurrection is the return of dead people to life,” answered Mike. It made sense, but I was still confused because I didn’t believe in “resurrection” at that time. However, the more we read bible, the more I understood and was convinced of the meaning of the word. “Resurrection refers to soul or spirit coming back to life, not to a body,” Mike said. Even though the idea was new for me, I felt it faithfully. I thought about one thing in my mind. My dad passed away when I was a junior high school student, and I cried heavily. Despite feeling sad sometimes even now, I could start believing that my father’s spirit came back and a person who has his soul was born after his death. I feel like my life is a little brighter than it used to be thanks to the bible study at that day.  

One Saturday in August, a bike trip took place around the west area of Pittsburgh. It was such a hot day. I was anxious about my bike skill since the last time I rode a bike was when I was a junior high school student. Anyway, the trip started. I started catching a fresh breeze while riding a bike. I sang my favorite song at a volume that no one could hear. After a while, I felt hungry. I asked Mike, “When is the lunch time, Mike?” “Oh Yuki, are you hungry now?” responded Mike and he took a snack out of his knapsack and handed it to me. The snack was tasty, and I felt “Mike is such a considerate person!” again. At the end of the trip, I took a picture with him in front of a fountain in Point State Park. 

In October, we had a Niagara Falls trip. It took about four hours by car, and I got a little tired before seeing the fall. Also, the most disappointing factor was that Mike was not there. On the other hand, the moment I saw the waterfall, my fatigue was blown away. “What a beautiful scenery!” I was moved by the view I’d never seen before. The water was transparent like crystal and splashed vigorously from the top to bottom. That night, I wanted share pictures of Niagara Falls with Mike and sent them to him. He responded 5 minutes later. “Wow, they are so beautiful! I hope you had a good time, and we can go there together next time!” he said. I was glad to see the messages and smiled in the room where there was only me. I have a sister in Japan, but I was feeling as if Mike is my brother in the U.S. 

After belonging to Prism, my life in the U.S. has completely changed. Due to it, I have learned new perspectives from bible study and have traveled to many places which I’d never visited. Also, above all, what I am grateful to Prism is giving me an opportunity to meet a loving man, Mike. His kindness has warmed not only my body but also my heart even in severe cold winter. I will return to my country in a month, but before that, I want to express my gratitude to Mike for sure. I’m quite certain that I will never forget him. 

International students, Reflection, Student experience

Appreciation

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By Mithaq Alshammari 

English Language Program

Fall 2022

Do you appreciate things in your life? I am writing this while it is raining outside, and thinking about everything that has happened in my life. How did I get here? Why did I get here? When did I get here? And lots of questions – some might matter and some might not. 

I am in the 20th year of my life studying abroad in the United States far away from my home, my family, and my friends. Is it hard? Yeah sometimes. Is it a great experience? I would say loudly “Of course!” My way of thinking has changed. I became more responsible and mature, and the most important thing is that I understand myself better after coming here. I am more aware of my desires and my interests compared to when I was back home. For that reason, I appreciate the opportunity to study abroad.  

In addition, I started to think about my future more deeply and manage my plans for a better future. In April 2022, I opened my first business in something that I am passionate about, which is clothing design, with zero experience in marketing and accounting, but I did it at a young age. I design abayas and scarves which are the Saudi women’s traditional clothes. I started to promote my products on the social media platform Instagram, and there were some difficulties attracting customers. However, with the support and the help that I received from my family and friends, I overcame those difficulties. After that experience, my appreciation for the good, supportive, loving people in my life grew.  

 I remember something my dad said to me when I was 14: “Feel the value of the things around you, appreciate the value of the smallest things in your life.” He always gives me advice about life, but this was different. I never forget these words. I started to appreciate the smallest to the biggest things in my life: appreciating the picturesque nature and fresh air, appreciating a cup of coffee early in the morning, appreciating the presence of someone who understands you, appreciating work and studying, appreciating chocolate, appreciating good and loving people, appreciating sleep with a calm mind, appreciating security and safety, appreciating love, appreciating a supportive family, appreciating music and songs. 

Why is appreciation important? It makes us feel safe and peaceful, which is what frees us to do our best work. Personally, when I started appreciating everything in my life, the little details as well as the big important aspects, I became a peaceful person, calm, positive, and comfortable. I noticed that I don’t get bothered or upset by small things as usual. However, appreciating the things you have in your life does not mean that you do not aspire to be more and better. On the contrary, appreciation gives you the motivation to aim for the best. And if you don’t appreciate the things that you have, you will focus negatively on the things that you don’t have and this will make you as a person who doesn’t appreciate any thing in their life, less productive, and compare your life to other people’s life, which is unhealthy. 

I wish all people can take a pause and start searching for things in their life that are worth appreciation. It might be difficult for some to feel that appreciation because they might be taking things for granted. Especially things that repeat and are part of a routine. However, don’t let repetition take away the observation, don’t forget how wonderful your friend is, how delicious your coffee is, or how comfortable you are in most of your things, and do not allow the coldness to prevent you from appreciating the good things around you under the pretext that they are ordinary. Ordinary things are often great otherwise you will not continue to live with it. Give yourself inner peace, and satisfaction that there is nothing more beautiful than the feeling of peace.  

International students, Reflection, Student Essays, Uncategorized

Overcoming Struggles and Hardships of Studying English

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By Rion Tomomasa

English Language Program

Fall 2022

International Education Symposium, November 2022

Almost 3 months has already passed since I came to the US. It is only 3 months in my life, but I have experienced a lot. I have studied English since I was a junior high school student because Japanese students must study English in Japanese education. However, this education is not enough for me to speak English fluently because students mainly study English grammar and writing. There are no opportunities to talk to native English speakers. I want to be a flight attendant in the future, so I decided to study English at university when I was a high school student. However, my university education is not an ideal environment to focus on studying English. Gradually, I became lazy to study English, so I lost my goal without my noticing. When I became a 2nd-year student, I noticed that I could not keep going like these days to achieve my goal. Therefore, I decided to come to Chatham University to improve my English. 

After I came here, I felt like I was going to falter many times because of my English skills and my personality. When I met my roommate for the first time, she asked me, “Do you have a nail file?” I could not understand what she said because I did not know the word “nail file.” I was confused and I could not answer her immediately. And then she said, “It’s ok.” I was shocked that I could not communicate fluently with an English speaker. I fully realized my lack of English skills at that time. After that day, I was confused when listening to English, speaking English, and writing English again and again. I cried every night because I did not like myself then. I could barely keep up with my classes. However, I gradually get used to listening to English and started to feel better. Nowadays, there are some words that I cannot understand, but I can make sense of almost all of what my teacher means. I try to achieve my goal to make sense of what is said in English in normal conversations.  

Nevertheless, I still have time when I feel depressed. When that happens, I remember the phrase from my mom, “Learning to push a little harder is a powerful thing.” My mom gave me these words after I came to the US because I wanted encouraging words to overcome the times when I am worried about my English skills. My mother went to Canada for about one year to study English like me when she was a university student. She could not speak English at first, but she was able to speak English fluently at the end of studying abroad. Now, she is my English teacher at home. I am proud of my mom and want to be like her. I got confidence from her many times when I felt depressed. My family encourages me every time, so I want to show my family how I have grown by studying abroad when I go back to Japan. This is one of the goals that I try to do my best here. 

One day, I took notes for this essay. I usually write notes before start writing an essay to sort my head out. I put the note on my desk just like I always do, and then I went out to take my class. After I went back to my room, I found a note from my roommate. While reading the note, I was moved to tears in spite of myself. In the note, there are many cheerful words to me: “Know that you have your roommate on your side.” I noticed that I’m not alone and I have such a wonderful roommate. I struggle to build relationships with American friends because I could not gather the courage to talk to them even my roommate. If I have any worries or questions and I want to ask my roommate, I could not do so due to my hesitation. I’m not brave enough, but now I just do it without thinking too much thanks to my roommate.  

Leaving home is hard. Moving across the world is even harder. However, I have many memories here. I have made friends from different countries, known the difficulties of studying a foreign language, learned the different ways of thinking in each country, and experienced many precious memories that I can never forget. I cannot write down everything in this essay, but  I can say with confidence that I’m doing my best now! Finally, I’d like to share my favorite words “Don’t forget, beautiful sunset needs cloudy skies.” It means there are good times and bad times in life or after you experience hardship, good things will happen to you. If I want to cope with and overcome something, I have to make an effort. Everyone can do everything if they have courage. 

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Why Pittsburgh?

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By Andrea Carolina Rodriguez Cortes

English Language Program

Fall 2022

Since I was a child, I’ve always wanted to live abroad. I’ve always wanted to learn to speak different languages. I’ve always wanted to know about different cultures. My first experience living abroad was at the age of 10 when my parents decided to move from Cali, Colombia, the city that I am from, to Volcan, Panama. This little town is known for its peaceful atmosphere, and many foreigners, mostly from the United States and Germany, live there. I remember going to public places and trying to communicate with kids at my age in English. I didn’t speak that much, but I was able to understand a lot because my mom used to talk to me in English. I felt extremely happy when I started making friends and speaking in another language. Unfortunately, we decided to move back to Cali for various reasons, one of which was that we missed our family and friends and weren’t used to living in a small town after spending our entire lives in big cities.

Years later, when I graduated from high school, I decided to choose a career related to languages. My lifelong ambition has been to learn five languages, and I speak three already (English, Spanish, and French). I decided to pursue a career in foreign languages at the University of Santiago de Cali. While I was studying at the university, I worked as an English teacher in a school and as a French teacher in another institute. As my graduation date approached, I  was resolved that once I completed my study, I would look an opportunity to live abroad. I didn’t want to live in Colombia anymore; I wanted to know the world; I wanted to know other cultures; I wanted to improve my English; I wanted to improve my French, and I wanted to have that cultural experience living abroad. I decided to look for options and I found an au pair program in the US. After talking to my parents, I applied to the au pair program, which is how I ended up living here.

When I started looking for families in the au pair program, I found a family that was in Pittsburgh. To be completely honest, I’d never heard of Pittsburgh before as it’s not as popular as New York, Miami, San Francisco, or Chicago. When I decided to come here, people asked me, “Why Pittsburgh?” I looked up the city and discovered that it had many good universities and a Latino population that wasn’t very large, so I could immerse myself in the language, which was perfect. Yes!!  Pittsburgh was the city that I was looking for. Finally, I graduated from the university in December 2019 and moved to the United States in February 2020.  I was living a dream. I had previously visited the United States on vacation in New York, but I didn’t practice English that much. I mostly spoke Spanish, so coming to a city where I could practice English was ideal. The first two weeks were great; everything was going well for me; everything was beautiful—the buildings, the city, speaking English every single day, going shopping—I was experiencing my dream cultural immersion. Unfortunately, two weeks after the lockdown began, I spent several months experiencing the opposite. After the lockdown was over, I began to travel, visiting New York, Los Angeles, Malibu, Santa Monica, and Myrtle Beach from June to December 2020. I was happy again.

When I finished my program as an au pair in February 2022, I decided that I wanted to study in the US, so I applied for a student visa at Chatham, and I was accepted into the English Language Program. I’ve learned a lot about grammar, vocabulary, composition, and communication. My goal is to be accepted into a graduate program in international relations, and I believe that was a good choice to apply to the ELP program at Chatham. So far, it has been great living here. I love the city. Still, when I meet a new person and they know that I am from Colombia, they ask me, “Why did you choose Pittsburgh to live in?” I just said that it was one of the best decisions that I have made. Why Pittsburgh? Because I love practicing the language every day. Why Pittsburgh? Because it isn’t that small or big, which makes it perfect. Why Pittsburgh? Because I love having the four seasons here, seeing the bridges, and enjoying its old infrastructure. Why Pittsburgh? Because I love the Steelers, even though I am still learning about football. Why Pittsburgh? Because this city has opened its doors to me, and I feel so comfortable living here. Why Pittsburgh? Because I have gained cultural knowledge living here, and I wouldn’t change it to live somewhere else. Why Pittsburgh? Because it is the first city where I have lived abroad by myself, and I am planning to stay. If I had to pick a city for cultural immersion again, I would pick Pittsburgh again.

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A Dreamy Reality

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By Andrea Quintero

English Language Program

Fall 2022

Life hasn’t been easy since I arrived in the United States. I came here with my dreams in mind, thinking that everything was going to be a perfect fairytale, but it was also my first time facing the world by myself in a completely different way. The truth is that I had never had to deal with adulthood on my own before coming here. Everything involving adult responsibilities would make me terrified, so I would always dream my way out of everything. Three weeks after my arrival, the pandemic happened. It was hard at first. I didn’t know what to do since I was new here, so having to live with an American host family while being in lockdown under a pandemic instead of living with my own family wouldn’t have been my first choice. I was so terrified that I considered leaving. At the same time, it was exciting, so I stayed. The best part of it all is that never would I have imagined that it was going to be my experience in the United States that would make me become the realistic dreamer that I am now.

Everyone that knows me knows that I’ve always wanted to be in the United States and speak English all day long. In fact, my friends and I would always joke about me being best friends with the Kardashians and being extremely successful in Hollywood, since I’m known for being an acting, music and makeup enthusiast. When I first arrived, I was a different person. I was excited and nervous about my future. (Well, that hasn’t changed much). I used to be more of a dreamer. I used to believe that everything was going to be like a fairytale. Turns out that life isn’t a fairytale, and I found that out the hard way. For a person like me, full of dreams and hopes, it was hard to face reality since no one taught me how to be realistic when I was younger.

I believe that childhood is an important part of what makes you who you are. It is true that you have the choice to change and to decide whether you want to keep making the same choices and mistakes or if you want to turn your life around, but it is hard to completely change if you’ve been raised a certain way. My story hasn’t been easy- nobody’s story is easy- but I can only speak for myself. The reason why I think I’m a dreamer is because in my childhood I needed to escape from my reality. One of the people who protected me from family traumas is my grandma. She encouraged me to think about another world and to use my imagination to ignore the pain of the violence happening just on the other side of the door. Thanks to that, I was able to travel in my imagination and to dream about being happy in a world that was violence free. I would also picture myself as an artist on a stage or in a movie set. That’s where I escaped the most. I don’t blame my mom or dad, and certainly not my siblings. I believe they are all victims of their stories and how they were raised. It’s just a vicious cycle. The priority that my parents gave me while growing up wasn’t much, so I had to learn most things about life for myself. Being here alone has been teaching me all about adulthood that I didn’t know. I truly love my parents; it just feels like I had to raise myself.

At the International Education Symposium 2022

Since I arrived in the US, I found out that adulthood is interesting. One of my favorite parts has been learning to be independent. I’m learning how to take care of myself, pay bills, buy groceries, and all the things that adults do.  It isn’t always fun though. I miss when I didn’t have to worry about anything, but also the challenge is great because it shows me how capable I am of achieving things for and by myself. My perspective of life has changed. I have become more independent, responsible and patient. Now not only am I a dreamer still, but I’m also more realistic and analytical, which may help me to achieve my dreams in the most rational way possible. I can still picture myself following the arts and being successful, but it may be not as magical as I used to believe it would be. Being here and having learnt all that I have, I know that the climb is going to be hard (if it isn’t already) and that I might not make my dreams come true, but one thing I know for sure is that I made the right decision coming to the United States, a country that may allow me to achieve my dreams just by combining them with my reality.

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International Education Week 2022 Reflection

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International Symposium

Students and community members came together for the International Symposium to explore the theme “Building Mutual Understanding for a Peaceful World”.

Presenters included keynote speaker RaMa, a Sudanese activist and author. RaMa has published two novels and a short story collection to great international critical acclaim. She is currently a writer-in-residence at City of Asylum Pittsburgh.

Students presented speeches and posters on a variety of topics, including religion, marriage, cultural differences, study abroad, and kindness across cultures!

Globally Green: Vira I. Heinz Scholar Presentation

Participants learned about sustainability in Italy and Jordan from  Vira I Heinz Scholarship program scholars Mikaela and Isabel.  Dr. Lehrer discussed sustainable farming and agriculture in Costa Rica, and Dr. Julier provided an overview of the projects and initiatives of CRAFT at Eden Hall campus. CRAFT, or the Center for Regional Agriculture, Food, and Transformation, works to transform the future of food and agriculture in Western Pennsylvania and beyond. Speakers provided information on opportunities to volunteer and impact the sustainability of the local area. Everyone was invited to sample some foods from Italy and Jordan.

International Snacks with ISA/TEAN

Sara Kochuba from Worldstrides shared information on ISA [studiesabroad.com] and TEAN [teanabroad.org] study and intern abroad opportunities during summer and semester long programs. Students sampled tasty snacks from abroad.

International Karaoke

Students of modern languages gathered in the Carriage House for International Karaoke! Students sang to practice their language skills in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Japanese, and Spanish!

International Tea

This relaxing event fostered engagement and conversation among Chatham students and community members. Participants joined in for conversation, snacks, games, and tea!

Chatham University

Office of International Affairs, Chatham University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, internationalaffairs@chatham.edu, www.chatham.edu/academics/international
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