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Throughout the years, international students have made U of L a home away
from home. Whether through students exchange programs, research grants, or
anything of the like, foreign students have consistently found the city and
the university to be a warm and inviting atmosphere.
Louisville has made quite an impression on Sid Benyoucef, a French exchange
student. “It’s been great,” he said of his stay in the city. “I’ve been very
impressed with the people in Louisville. They say hi to you when you cross
them in the street, or smile at you-things like that.”
Benyoucef has been in Louisville for about a year. He is a junior Business
major who came from Montpelier in one of Louisville’s sister-city exchange
programs.
Benyoucef said he didn’t know anything about Louisville before he came,
other than what he could find on the Internet. He picked the city more or
less at random, although while researching, he found a somewhat startling
piece of information. “It (the website) said that Louisville was a dangerous
place to live,” he said. “Because of Fort Knox, Louisville would be a target
if there was some sort of world conflict. That scared me a bit.”
But the warning didn’t deter Benyoucef. He said he came to Louisville
because it’s an average-sized city with a small-town atmosphere. “I didn’t
want to go to a big city like New York, where everyone is kind of
anonymous,” he said. “Louisville is the right size.”
While in France, Benyoucef worked as an accountant for an American company
in Montpelier. “I didn’t like it too much so I decided to go back to school
and study something else,” he said. He likes Louisville and the university
so much that he has decided to stay an extra year and finish his MBA
program. As for post-graduation, though, Benyoucef plans to move back to
France to be with his friends and family. “But for now,” he said, “I will
focus on getting my MBA, and then see what the future will make.”
Gioconda Guerra likes Louisville too. From Panama, where all of her family
still lives, Guerra has been in the city for five years. She completed her
undergraduate work at U of L, just finished her Masters degree in Sociology,
and is currently in her second semester of work toward her Doctorate in
Human Family Education. She is also the coordinator of this year’s
International Banquet.
Guerra said she likes Louisville for several reasons. “It’s a very quiet
city,” she said. “Of course there are places where you can distract yourself
from studying. It’s also a place where you can hang out with friends.
“It’s also a safe place,” she said.
Guerra said she picked Louisville “as a matter of casualty.” She first came
to the university through a student exchange program. It was through the
program that Guerra first became involved with the International Center. “I
think it’s a place where the international students can come, get together,
and eat, drink, watch TV, use the computer, print papers,” she said. “It’s a
place where you can come and feel like you’re in your home, which is
something that you don’t feel sometimes on campus.”
Guerra said that after she finishes her Doctorate studies, she plans to work
in Louisville for a year, which is all she is allowed by the Immigration and
Naturalization Service. She will return to Panama to work after that. As for
a return to Louisville, Guerra smiled and said “of course!”
Amit Chadha has been in Louisville for eight years. He arrived in 1994 to
begin work on his undergraduate degree in Management, and was formerly the
Vice President of the American International Relations Club.
Originally from India, Chadha has also made the city and the university his
home. He said that because of the International Center, students from other
countries are able to assimilate easily at U of L. “They’re extremely
helpful,” he said. “The people have just been really friendly. They (the
International Center) provide students with whatever they need.”
Chadha said that because of the events of September 11, the university
community, specifically the international community, is different. “It has
changed so much since what happened in New York,” he said. “Not so much
personally, but the views of people have changed and I’ve seen that. Not in
Louisville so much though, which is surprising. Not as much as in some other
places.”
Overall, Chadha’s experience in the city and at U of L has been good. He
cites the International Center as being a stronghold for foreign students at
the university. “It’s been really positive,” he said. “Someone’s there who
actually really cares.”
Chadha is currently completing his MBA program. He said that he’s not sure
about plans after he finishes here. His father works for an international
organization, and his family is currently living in Africa. But he said he’d
like to stay in Louisville, conditions permitting. “It just depends on the
job market,” he said.
Saeed Alawami came to the United States from Saudi Arabia in 1996. A senior
CIS major, Alawami transferred to U of L from the University of Kentucky. He
too was quick to point out the impact the International Center has had on
the university community, something that he said UK was lacking. “They (UK)
have an office for international students that’s just a small room in a
crowded area,” he said. “Here it’s like you’ve got your own home away from
home. You can come here anytime you want.”
Alawami has had a somewhat different experience here than Chadha following
the events of September 11. “Unfortunately people are afraid,” he said.
“It’s not necessarily discrimination, but the first thing people do when
they find out you’re from Saudi (Arabia) is associate you with those
people.”
Although he has been hassled somewhat because of his ethnicity, Alawami
doesn’t blame the harassers. “I kind of sympathize with them because they
are ignorant,” he said. “We cannot blame everybody for the actions of one.”
Shortly after September 11, the International Center hosted workshops for
students having trouble dealing with both the tragedy and the backlash. “The
more you get people involved,” Alawami said, “the more they’ll understand
what’s going on.”
