OPINION

Opinion: Graduating from 7800 miles away

Mohamed Ahmed
Contributor

Embarking on his final semester at WCC, Voice contributor Mohamed Ahmed has completed his academic journey 7,800 miles away from Kenya. Grace Faver and Jada Hauser | Washtenaw Voice

As my final classes begin to wind down, I reflect on my time at WCC as a remote student living in Kenya. It has been full of ups and downs, but as I get closer to the end, I can’t help but feel a sense of gratitude for the experiences I’ve had.

To start with the good stuff, the people. Despite the virtual barrier, I connected with some incredible individuals at WCC.

From the professors who took the time to get to know me personally to the classmates, it was the people who made this memorable. And I can’t forget to mention my advisor, Raechel Espinoza, whose unwavering support and guidance, have always been a source of strength.

The courses themselves have been interesting.

From exploring the complexities of philosophy to looking at World War II history, each course challenged me to think critically and expand my worldview.

Despite being remote, the engaging discussions and debates were always something to look forward to.

But of course, it hasn’t all been sunshine and rainbows. There are a couple of things that I didn’t quite like.

First, the limited amount of classes, while a lot is offered virtually, some classes are only offered on-campus. This is frustrating sometimes, especially with classes that I wanted to take.

Second is how hard it is to be involved as a remote student. There aren’t many student organizations that offer fully remote involvement.

It is something that I hope is addressed as involvement can add to your college experience.

As I prepare to say goodbye to WCC and begin the next chapter of my academic journey at The Ohio State University, I am thankful to the many people who made my time at WCC a bit easier.

I admit it has been hard but I am happy to make it to the finish line.