If you think New York City doesn’t sleep, you should check out Cairo
By Sary Hamzah, Special Contributor
Photo special to the News-Register
Traveling abroad allowed Sary Hamzah to travel and see foreign places he never imagined he would ever be able to visit, such as Cairo’s ancient pyramids.
Photo special to the News-Register
While some students believe that studying abroad is all about schoolwork, Sary made sure he took some time to enjoy some of Cairo’s more beautiful surroundings.
Do you want an awesome college life? Studying abroad is the best way to start one. I thought that there was no way that I could get enough money to go abroad. I was a community college student who relied on fi nancial aid. How did I do it? The answer is the Gilman International Scholarship, which is made for students who receive the Pell Grant.
Gilman also prefers students who attend community colleges because most community college students cannot afford to go abroad. I was awarded the maximum Gilman award of $8,000. College life has much to offer than just going to class. There is a wide horizon out there and I think all students should take the time to discover it.
Going to Egypt has widened my horizon and made me realize how much fun and enjoyable life can be. Wild soccer games, trips to the Mediterranean, snorkeling in the Red Sea, and horseback riding at 2 a.m. at the pyramids are just a few activities I participated in during my four-and-a-half-month adventure! And yes, you heard right – horseback riding at 2 a.m.!
If you think New York City does not sleep, you should check out Cairo. There are traffic jams at 12 a.m., wedding ceremonies that do not end until 4 a.m., and a completely different culture that one can become emerged in.
While studying at the American University in Cairo, I was able to take interesting classes and earn college credits that counted towards my degree. One of these classes was economic development. I worked on a real project to help develop handmade crafts in Old Cairo. I was engaged with talented craftsman such as Hajj Rady and Hajj Ibrahem. They make beautiful pieces of precisely crafted pottery.
We studied the business aspect
of modernizing their industry by
bringing in kilns, or electronic ovens
for them to heat their pottery.
We also studied the cost and benefit effect of adding glaze to the pottery.
This was an excellent opportunity
for me to learn about a developing
economy like Egypt firsthand.
Being an economics and finance major, I will never forget this
experience.
I am now back in Texas and studying at the University of Texas at Dallas. I hope to go back to Egypt after receiving my bachelor’s degree, and see that Hajj Rady and Hajj Ibrahem have a bigger, better, and more profitable pottery business.
Studying abroad has definitely changed me. Prior to going, my life was all about going to school and going to work.
Traveling has taught me to relax and enjoy life.