Why did you decide to study at CSU?
When I came to the U.S. in 2009, I was accepted at Arkansas State University. However, I had to transfer to Colorado State University (CSU) due to the lack of vital resources. I had no accessible books or equipment to aid me in classes, and both university faculty and disability support staff were unprepared for the accessibility challenges facing a blind computer science student. CSU was recommended to me by a blind student at CU bolder as his blind friend was studying computer science at CSU, so the CU disability office thought that CSU would be a better choice for me.
What was your biggest surprise about life in the U.S?
After Growing up in the Middle East – Oman, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia – I found it strange that a lot of people in the U.S. don’t know a lot about the rest of the world. It was also very surprising to find that the U.S. culture is very visual. Though there are many more options for the blind in this country, there is still a great deal of inequality that exists in the way we are treated even here.
What are your career goals?
My goal in life is to complete my education and get my doctorate and then either work here in the United States or return to Oman to start an educational center for the blind in Muscat. I will graduate from CSU in spring 2015, then start the computer information system master degree in the fall at CSU.
What do you want people to know about your home country?
I would like to invite people to learn about my country, know our king, Sultan Qaboos, how he built a modern country, and his efforts in peace making in the region. The Sultanate of Oman is a peaceful country in the Middle East, despite the diversity in beliefs and culture, people live peacefully together and accept others as they are. Culturally, Oman has a very rich heritage of historical structures such as forts, it also has its own character in art craft and national wears.
What has been your favorite memory at CSU, so far?
My favorite memory at CSU was Day in the Mountains.