A Year in the Fulbright Life: Riham’s Story

It is my first time traveling to the United States! The feeling I had when the plane landed at Dulles Airport is priceless. I have studied Dulles Airport in my undergrad architecture study and it is insane that I am inside it now. I was impressed by how big it is, and how efficiently it is run.

This is when I visited the University of Oklahoma Architecture Department for the first time. The University of Oklahoma campus is huge and beautiful, where the landscaping and greenery are breathtaking, and the people are very kind and helpful. I also got my first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine on that day.

Nature here is breathtaking. I visited Lake Thunderbird, which is a very popular lake in Norman where people enjoy camping and water activities. I also enjoyed my way to it and back because of the beautiful trees and sunflowers.

Fred Jones Museum is like having all the cultures around the world in a nutshell. Its interior architecture is fascinating.

I live ten minutes away from campus, so walking is my new favorite activity! I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to walk this much in my country since I use my car almost everywhere I go. However, the sunny and fresh weather — just like home — encourages walking.

The campus has the Walk of Scholars down its main pedestrian walkway. All along this spine, there are metal embedded tiles that hold past Fulbright scholars’ and students’ names. It felt like walking down Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. It was very motivating to me, that I should work hard enough to hopefully put my name next to them after I complete my program.

I attended a Muslim Student Association community event at Reaves Park, which created a great opportunity to meet new people and participate in a painting activity. I met very friendly people from different countries around the world.

I can now say that I have friends here who are very friendly and helpful. I’ve learned so much from them. Some of them came to live here a couple of years ago, so they always help me with whatever I need. I can say for certain that they have had an impact on me in different ways. We enjoy talking about our countries and what our cultures have in common. We also try to teach each other some words from our native languages. We look for more events where we can enjoy our time together around campus.

Riham is a 2021 Fulbright student from Egypt. She is studying Interior Design at the University of Oklahoma.

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