Masoud Al Ajmi
Najran
Saudi Arabia
CELCIS Student

Masoud Al Ajmi, an international student from Najran, Saudi Arabia, has adjusted from the sand dunes of his homeland to the “dunes” of snow that pile up in Michigan winters to study at WMU’s Career English Language Center for International Students.

He chose WMU with the goal of earning a master’s and Ph.D. in electrical engineering because of Western’s high quality of teaching and research and because of the state-of-the-art facilities available in the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. 

Masoud Al Ajmi at Gyeongbok Palace,
Seoul, South Korea

Al Ajmi arrived in the United States in fall of 2008. “I decided to join WMU's CELCIS program because it was one of the requirements for the academic program that I will take at WMU,” Al Ajmi said. “After taking a placement test, I began taking pre-advanced level language classes and then moved up to the advanced classes.”

CELCIS courses are designed to improve language skills, however Al Ajmi finds the most valuable part of the program the way his teachers combine language and culture. CELCIS instructor, Darryl Salisbury, teaches his classes in a way that Alajimi finds particularly special.

“Mr. Salisbury can be described as an encyclopedia,” Al Ajmi said. “He can answer any questions I have about the United States and the world. Having a teacher who has the ability to teach the language, and the culture as well, is such a great learning experience. I didn’t expect to have an instructor who is so knowledgeable in politics and history. It’s wonderful and I gain a lot.”
In Ulsan, South Korea's largest industrial city 

Al Ajmi has adjusted to the cold winters and snow that contrast sharply with the climate in his homeland. “This was the first time I have seen snow,” Al Ajmi said. “It’s good to see new things, but it took some time to get used to the climate.” When asked what he misses the most about Saudi Arabia, Al Ajmi didn’t say the warm weather, but rather his family. “I went home for a visit over Christmas break,” he said.

Even with a busy schedule of classes, Al Ajmi had time to recently make a trip to Washington D.C. “I saw the historical monuments,” he said. “I also hope to visit California.”

Al Ajmi began taking University classes and working toward his degree in the summer I semester that began May 4. “I’m excited to start my courses,” Al Ajmi said. He plans to earn a master’s degree in electrical engineering and eventually a Ph.D.