April Undergraduate Global Student of the Month
Tuesday, April 13, 2021
The CAGLE and the Spears School of Business are excited to present the 2021 April Undergraduate Global Student of the Month honor to Shouq Alsulaiman.
Shouq is a native of Kuwait City, Kuwait, in the Middle East and is studying for her bachelor's in Management at Oklahoma State University.
"I decided to study at OSU because it felt at home here," Alsulaiman said. "In addition, all the faculty here never made me feel that I was away from home. They are always helpful and welcome to offer advice when needed. They are friendly, kind, and I am proud of my university. I have always felt closer to the OSU community since the first day I came."
Alsulaiman's hometown of Kuwait City has a population of 4 million, and the country consists of nine islands. It is a small country known for charity works and financial aid for countries struggling with the financial crisis. Bordered by powerful neighbors Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Iran, its strategic location and immense oil reserves (6th largest globally) make it one of the world's wealthiest countries per capita.
Kuwait has the highest valued currency in the world, the Kuwaiti Dinar. The Kuwait Towers, a group of three slender towers standing tall into the Persian Gulf, is the country's most famous landmark.
A conservative state with a Sunni Muslim majority and a US ally, Kuwait stands out from the other Gulf monarchies for having the most open political system. Alsulaiman noted she is "proud of her country's history and how they built the country from scratch."
"I came to the United States after I graduated from high school in 2016 and spent 1.5 years in Boulder, Colorado studying English. I have been studying English since middle school and also learned French in high school for two years," Alsulaiman said.
"Studying abroad offered me a great experience of making new friends, and the opportunity to travel across the country, which took me out of my comfort zone, and changed my perspective about life which made me a broad-minded individual." It was after this experience that she then decided to pursue a bachelor's degree in the United States.
Her plans after graduation are to work in a company to gain professional experience. She is also planning to start her own business in Kuwait to help support small businesses in management, marketing, and finance.
Alsulaiman's favorite thing to do during her free time is grab a good book and explore campus, looking for the best spot to sit in peace and read. Alsulaiman said, "OSU has a lot of amazing places to enjoy across campus."
Apart from reading, she loves playing basketball, volunteering, doing charity work, traveling, and exploring. Alsulaiman describes herself as a very open-minded person interested in learning about religions, cultures, and history. A peaceful person whose purpose is to create a beautiful life for the people around her so they too can enjoy their lives and succeed in what makes them happy.
Shouq is open to new adventures and sharing her experiences with others to bring them joy, and CAGLE is honored to recognize her and highlight her story.
Congratulations, Shouq Alsulaiman, for being named the Spears Undergraduate Global Student of the Month for April 2021!