When you join Conversation Hour in the student lounge, you will see Ahmad, a friendly and hospitable student from Saudi Arabia, holding a coffee pitcher and offering drinks to students. Many students receive a warm cup of coffee from him and they join the conversation activity. “I enjoy socializing and making many friends, that is why I love being here at MLC,” he says with a smile.
Ahmad was learning physical therapy in his country when he decided to come to the US to improve his English skills for his future career. After making up his mind, choosing a city and a language school was not difficult for him. His uncle and his cousin are alumni of MLC, so he had already heard about MLC and Ann Arbor from them. “My cousin Ali (*) loved learning at MLC and he strongly recommended this school for me.”
*Ali’s student spotlight is here
He started studying at MLC 9 months ago as a full time student. “I thought it would be very hard for me to study and live in the US, because I expected that everybody at school would be focusing on just studying. In fact, however, I found that instructors and staff members are very friendly and they are more than just teachers and staff for me. They are like my friends as well as mentors.”
Ahmad says one of his favorite activities at MLC is Conversation Hour, when students gather during the lunch break and practice conversation with each other. “At first, I was not able to respond immediately in English. Although I understood what people said, it was difficult to answer or make a comment in English. In that sense, it was great to join the conversation hour because you are allowed to make mistakes there. Now I can respond and speak in English with confidence.”
Next session will be the last for Ahmad at MLC, as he will continue his studies at a community college. “I learned about health care in Saudi Arabia, but I am also thinking about changing my major. I am interested in the cyber security field.”
He would like to pursue university studies and work a couple of years in the US if possible. We are very fortunate to have Ahmad at MLC, and we wish him success in his next exciting adventure!
