For my first Passion Blog post, I’m going to be writing about Mirza Rafid Waiz Ahmed. He officially goes by Rafid  and is affectionately called “Fes” by his friends at Penn State (a reference to the character from That 70’s Show). He is a freshman and majoring in Chemical Engineering.

Rafid was born and raised in the capital of Bangladesh, living in a good area of the city. He lived there his whole life, prior to moving to Penn State. His family includes his father, mother, and 11 year old sister. His father works for the army and his mother is a doctor. He went to a high school where all the classes were taught in English, so he can speak English fluently.

When applying to college, he only applied to international schools. His college application process was surprisingly similar to students in the United States, in that it involved a lot of standardized tests. Rafid took A-levels (a standardized test in the British school system), his SAT’s, and the TOEFL exam. He applied to six schools, eventually having to choose between Texas A&M, Purdue, and Penn State. Rafid happily chose Penn State.

Rafid is currently really enjoying his experience at Penn State and in the United States. The diversity and the culture of Penn State are his favorite aspects of college and have helped him adjust to life so far away from home. He also really likes the culture of America and the acceptance he has found here.

Still, life 10 time zones away from home does come with a price. “The hardest thing about going to college here is knowing that I won’t see my family for two years,” – Rafid. Because of the cost of flying, Rafid cannot go home during breaks like domestic students. Instead, he will be staying with extended family in America.

Despite missing his family dearly, Rafid remains very optimistic about his freshman year of college. “I’m looking forward to getting good grades and making good friends,” – Rafid.