Kamran Hamavard

freshman, pre-engineering
International Club president
Tehran, Iran

By Cassie Winter, University Communications and Marketing Intern

Out of any university you could have chosen, why did you choose to study abroad and come to MSUB?

“MSUB is a good university. I have friends from home who have come here, so that’s how I knew about it. And the thing is, I wanted to experience education somewhere else and improve my English. By getting an education in another country, you don’t just study your major, you learn about life and culture.”

What are some of your goals as the International Club’s president and as a group?

“Our goal is to make connections between international students and American students. We have students from Korea, Japan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, China, Germany and more, so it is a great opportunity to learn about many different cultures without having to travel everywhere. The students who come here have two benefits—they learn about American culture and the cultures of those who travel to study here too. We like to help the situation of international students who might be shy or may not know English as well to make connections and feel welcome.”

Where do you see yourself in 10 years?

“That’s a good question. Nobody knows about the future. What I want is to be a petroleum engineer, and of course to get a good job and have a good situation, preferably in a country with a lot of oil. I like America, it’s a good, new experience, but I don’t like to stay in one place forever. My idea is to live in two or three different countries.”

What did you think of America before you came here?

“Before you come to America, what you learn from media and Hollywood is that Americans have a different lifestyle. But then you arrive here, and the lifestyle is really cool. People don’t care as much about money and living in New York as I thought. People are friendly and aren’t so busy they can’t take the time to say hello to each other.”