By Zehra Khan-

Q: Where are you from?
A: Benisuief, Egypt
Q: What languages do you speak?
A: Arabic and English
Q: How old are you?
A: 15
Q: Who is your host family?
A: the Russells
Q: Why did you want to and how did you become a foreign exchange student?
A: Maybe then I’ll have a chance to go to American University in Cairo. I’ll have a chance to get a job in Cairo. I knew about this through the church I go to. We came here through interviews and orientations.
Q: What were your expectations/stereotypes of the U.S. before you came?
A: That it’s not a safe place. I thought the main thing here was sex and violence too. I wanted to see if this culture was right or not.
Q: Please describe your family back home.
A: I have one sister-she is studying business. My dad is a doctor. My mom is a secretary.
Q: What do you like to do for fun?
A: drawing, and facebook. I usually go to clubs in Egypt with my friends. The club is owned by my church. We talk about God. It’s really fun. I spend time with my cousins.
Q: What do you miss most about home?
A: My friends and family.
Q: How is school different in Egypt?
A: My school is much bigger than Mount Vernon. It’s four floors and we have from first grade to seniors. We don’t choose the subjects. We have nine periods. The teachers have to move to the classes. We don’t have lockers, and everything is in Arabic. High school is just three years. It’s so much different. I like it here better. Everything is serious.
Q: Are classes harder here?
A: No, except U.S. History.
Q: How is home life different?
A: We eat dinner a lot later in Egypt, and we don’t always eat together. There’s more family time in Egypt, and my sister lives with us even though she is in college. Here we don’t spend much time with cousins. We don’t get to see each other everyday.