Welcoming Community
Upon graduating from high school, I received a scholarship that allowed me to travel abroad to study my undergraduate career. It was my first time studying in a foreign country, as well as experiencing many other things when I arrived here – like learning about American culture. I chose Mount Union because not only did it offer my major, but it is simply comfortable. The campus environment is very peaceful where students feel at home because they can relax and take time for themselves. I also like the cleanliness of the campus and the Alliance area.
I have formed meaningful relationships with my mathematics professors through the course of time that I have been at Mount Union. As an international student, I feel understood by them because they truly are very comprehensive and help me with things I do not understand. I like that at Mount Union, students have the freedom to interact with their professors outside of the classroom whether that is at office hours or campus events. This shows that faculty care about students’ success unlike back home in Peru, where students feel oppressed. Mount Union is preparing me for my future career by allowing me to work in diverse places along with helping me find an internship.
Overcoming Obstacles
As an international student the biggest obstacle that I encountered was the language. Being an international student is overwhelming because there are new experiences, but English not being my native language is a bigger problem. Some of us struggle with classes because professors use words or expressions that we do not understand. Some speak so fast that I can barely understand a word. When the professor knows that there are international students in his/her class, they let them use a dictionary in case there are any terms they don't understand. But others make the students feel overworked because they are strict and demanding with the work they ask from students.
Inspiring Experience
Before the pandemic, I was already thinking of applying for an engineering major. Although I wanted to be a mechanical engineer. However, when the pandemic arrived, I became more aware about the health of others. Therefore, my decision changed. I still wanted to be an engineer though I wanted to combine the health sciences. I then heard about biomedical engineering so I decided that I would major in that. Mount Union has helped me impact the medical field with its amazing equipment like microscopes and work in their labs.