About thirty years ago, a young man from Saudi Arabia by the name of Hashem came to the United States to study and play soccer.  While in the United States, he had many wonderful experiences.  Now, fast forward to 2015, and Hashem, his wife and his children are living in Winona, Minnesota.  One of his daughters, Eman Almubarak, is finishing her first semester as an ESL student at SMU.  She also has a brother attending WSU, another brother at Cotter High School and a younger sister at a local pre-school.

Eman’s undergraduate degree is in marketing, and her goal is to obtain a master’s degree in a business-related field.  With a degree from the U.S., she will have more job opportunities in her home country of Saudi Arabia.  Eman has enjoyed all of the activities in which she has participated this semester such as face painting for Halloween, shopping at the MOA on Black Friday and volunteering with other SMU students.  In her free time, Eman enjoys using her graphic design talents.

When asked what has been difficult about the semester, Eman replied that she is not always sure how to respond to an English request. However, that is getting much easier for her.  In addition, she misses her grandma very much and would love to have her here in Winona with the family.

Thanks, Eman, for joining our St. Mary’s DeLaSalle “family.”  We are so fortunate to have you here this year.