A Rare Courage

If you grew up hearing that America was the land of the devils, and you lived in a country that is a sworn enemy of the United States,  would you set off to study there?  Each year a certain number of Iranians in their search for a good education, do just that, demonstrating a rare courage.  What is even more brave, is that they often live in Homestay with an American Family.

What kind of person is able to take such a risk?  Usually, they have a relative who has gone before and told them that devils are rare in the United States.  Also, large numbers of Iranians are quite fond of America and think favorably about the culture.  And don’t forget, Iran (Persia) is actually one of the oldest, most refined civilisations in the world.  The students who study in the U.S. from Iran come from very well educated families.  They are, in a word, elegant.  At least that is our experience here at USuccessAbroad.

Take for example, the student is Elmira.  She came to this country to study architecture.  She already had a bachelor’s degree and wanted to pursue a masters.  This young woman came to the U.S. to stay in a homestay with total strangers, in a strange city in a foriegn country and pursue an advanced degree with some English but very slow reading skills.  She now teaches as a graduate assistant, is an exceptional student, has applied for, and undoubetely will receive, an internship and has made an amazing adjustment to the culture.

She and her homestay mother are very close and expect to remain lifelong  friends.  She routinely does volunteer work in the community, travels with her homestay family and thouroughly enjoys her student experience in the United States.  When the news is full of reports of strife between Iran and the United States, how wonderful it is that one family at a time, perceptions can be changed!