In the fall of 2017, junior Mohamed Mabrouk stood in the lobby volunteering as an Arabic translator at Back to School Night.
Mabrouk had moved to the United States from Egypt over the summer, and as a native Arabic speaker he was hoping to serve as an interpreter for parents. But most people were not looking for translations, they just wanted directions.
“[It] kind of forced me to [learn my way around] instead of misleading someone,” Mabrouk said. “I’d feel mad guilty about something like that.”
Previously, he had attended a traditional Egyptian K-12 grade school.
“In Egypt, [my school building] was extremely linear,” Mabrouk said. “You [could] just walk one path [to] find everything. [Additionally], the students don’t leave classrooms, the teachers do.”
Along with the size of the school, the variety of choices in the U.S. overwhelmed Mabrouk. In Egypt, all students followed a relatively similar, rigid path that Mabrouk said commonly led to a career as an engineer.
“The whole aspect of choosing classes was new to me because in Egypt you just dealt with whatever class you had,” Mabrouk said. “I think when I was given the freedom to actually choose classes it was kind of scary for me. […] It kind of hindered me in a way because I didn’t know what to expect, so I chose the lowest, easiest classes.”
Mabrouk said before moving, he anticipated following the same path as his peers, even though his passion was elsewhere.
“I wanted to pursue a career in art because I had a talent,” Mabrouk said. “[But] not a lot of people cared for it in Egypt, [so] I treated it as […] just a hobby.”
In the U.S., Mabrouk said he has been able to pursue art and also allow other passions to blossom.
“When I got here I realize[d] how people can branch out into crazy ideas [here],” Mabrouk said. “It’s all so fascinating. I’m thinking about pursuing a career in cybersecurity.”
Beyond the greater variety in paths of education, Mabrouk said he appreciates the increased emphasis on learning in the U.S., rather than just results.
“There is really not a push for learning as much as there is a push for passing [in Egypt],” Mabrouk said. “[But] I noticed how much easier it was to learn here because what I learned last year is still very persistent with me now.”
Mabrouk said there was intense pressure on students in Egypt because their exam results define their future.
“You have to be near perfect in all classes,” Mabrouk said. “If you [aren’t] there is a massive drop from the good college or career to the second option, but here there are a lot of resources. You can bounce back.”
Mabrouk said he loves Marshall and the people here, but he misses the community in Egypt.
“I miss [the] way […] everyone treats everyone in Egypt like their brother,” Mabrouk said. “It’s really heartwarming.”
2019-03-25