Featured Person: Maged Nabawy
Meet Maged, who came from Egypt to study American Sign Language in the United States.
Age/Education: Community College Student
Disability: Deaf
Exchange program: Community College Initiative Program
Program country: United States
Program length: August 2009 - 2010
Program type: Study abroad
Those determined to integrate international travel into their lives can always benefit from picking up another language or two. Besides using Arabic and Egyptian Sign Language, Maged Nabawy, a Deaf Egyptian student, joined American students on the Ohlone College campus in Fremont, California to also learn English and American Sign Language. Through the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA) U.S. Department of State’s Community College Initiative Program, which provides funding to support international students from select countries -including Egypt- to study at U.S. community colleges, students like Maged are currently recruited by Fulbright Commissions and U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Offices in the target countries.
Maged recognizes Fulbright Commissions recruiting staff for their outstanding support throughout the pre-departure process. "[They] understand the communication needs of Egyptian deaf people in the USA," he remarked.
Although Maged is still studying at Ohlone College, he plans to return to Egypt and find work that will allow him to share his interests with others. Currently, those interests are tourism and teaching, and he also envisions himself working for a Deaf persons association in his home country.
Learn more about the Community College Initiative Program on the U.S. Department of State's page on Global Educational Programs through the Bureau of Cultural and Educational Affairs, http://exchanges.state.gov/globalexchanges/community-colleges-initiative.html.
The program provides funding to support international students from Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Pakistan, South Africa and Turkey to study at U.S. community colleges. Students may pursue studies in fields including agriculture, business management and administration, tourism and hospitality management, health professions including nursing, media, information technology, and engineering science.
Visit our "Featured People" page to meet other international exchange alum.
