Eleven students from Tunisia were at SFA for six weeks this summer. Their visit culminated with a presentation at the Baker Pattillo Student Center. From left: Emna Bouzid, Emna Achour, Azza Djemel, Chaima Soui, Imen Hendi, Zayneb Masmoudi, Arij Ben Mohamed, Meriam Briki, Hassen Ben Abid, Lina Amara, and Nada Maatouk.
The Tunisian students arrived in July, staying in the residence halls until they returned home in late August. They took a variety of courses, including psychology, architecture, and computer science, and met American students throughout their stay. The visit culminated in a packed presentation at the Baker Pattillo Student Center. Dressed in traditional Tunisian clothing, the students went through an interactive telling of a history and culture that date back to the Phoenicians, includes influences from the Ottoman and French empires, and where languages from Arabic to English are spoken.
“It’s wonderful having them on campus,” said Heather Catton, director of the Office of International Programs. “They give new perspectives in classes and allow students who may have never met someone from a faraway place the opportunity to interact on a personal level. The Tunisian students really gave a jump start to the international program and helped establish some normalcy.”
Catton and her office, along with support from many departments across campus, hosted the students through a competitive grant with the Thomas Jefferson Scholarship Program, awarded to SFA to design and host a six-week stay with academic, professional development, cultural and community engagement activities. It’s usually a year-long program, but due to the pandemic a special short-term substitute was arranged. The scholarship is made possible by the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs of the United States Department of State and implemented by IREX, a nonprofit committed to global development and education.
There are approximately 115 international students enrolled at SFA this fall.
Emna Achour, a marketing major at the Tunis Business School, said the six-week stay in Nacogdoches was special. Not only did they make new friends here, but became closer to their Tunisian peers they came over with. Sightseeing and excursions included SFA Gardens; Millard’s Crossing Historic Village; the Kemah Boardwalk; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; NASA; and the East Texas Oil Museum in Kilgore.
“It was wonderful,” Achour said. “It was a short visit, but we tried to see as much as we could.”
By Richard Massey, Senior Marketing Communications Specialist at Stephen F. Austin State University
