Samiya Farah

Salve! My name is Samiya Farah, and I’m currently a undergrad studying Nursing at Johnson County Community College located in Kansas. Raised in Kansas City, Missouri, I’ve never traveled out of the U.S. although my mind has traveled around the globe numerous of time. As the first generation to go to college in my family and also to study abroad, I can encourage those who have come to America or who are born here but have immigrant parents who may not have finished high school or college; helping those young students understand that their destiny, the opportunities, and academic possibilities are available and their accomplishment can go beyond crossing the Atlantic Ocean. I want them to see me as a role model who has achieved her goals. And, opportunities like the FEA scholarship who made this dream possible and I want to thank them for that! THANK YOU!!

This Fall (2015) I’ve decided to study abroad at Florence University of the Arts in Florence, Italy. I have chosen to study abroad in the fall for a semester is because I hope to begin nursing school in spring 2016, and I want to take this life-changing moment with vast benefits for my future career before devoting my life to nursing school. I will have the opportunity to take classes that relate to my major, for example Mediterranean Diet: A Guide to Healthy Living and Developing Mind Potential: Mindfulness. I want to share my experience with my family, friends, and of course, my future patients about the diet and what great benefits it has. Also, I will be taking Italian because I find it the most beautiful language, it’s so vivid and musical. I know that studying and taking Italian: Beginners in Italy will be an amazing experience because of the people and the environment.

The challenges I will have to face during my travels from Kansas City to Florence won’t be easy: feeling like an outsider, the language barrier, or being far from my support network. But, I know I will return more open-minded, independent, and a stronger person. Just thinking about my plans for fall makes me nervous in my stomach, but the thrill and excitement are even much stronger than my nerves. I just cannot wait for this moment to happen.