NATHANIEL BEACH

Staff Writer

Mohamed El Sayed ‘20 was born and raised in Egypt. Through his schooling, he became fluent in four languages – Arabic, English, French and German – with Arabic being his prominent language. He went to Egypt’s first STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Math) high school. It focused on individual projects and helped Mohamed form an idea of what he wanted his academic future to be like.

“There I was able to practice my English more and strengthen my other languages, and I think being there was one of the main reasons I’m at Denison now,” he said.

He is majoring in biology and dreams to eventually become a surgeon. El Sayed decided his senior year of high school that he wanted to go to college abroad. He searched everywhere around the globe and decided to pinpoint his search on the U.S. He discovered Denison and admits that it is hard for him here. He faces the same struggles that any other international student faces.

“I think that my biggest flaw is that I am from a different culture,” El Sayed said. “Back in Egypt, they don’t think about things the same way Americans do.” While El Sayed has thoroughly enjoyed his time at Denison, he has found it difficult to transition to a whole new culture.

However, he says that he won’t let the introvert in him keep him away from making the most out of his Denison experience. He has made many good friends and is loving every moment that he has at Denison. While at Denison, he has participated in DU Lead, where he was able to learn and build upon leadership qualities that he possesses. He has also become active in numerous clubs on campus including Soccer Club, Denison University Biological Society, Denison International Student Association, Muslim Student Association, and Denison Community Association.

El Sayed wishes for his fellow classmates to know that he is as fair as can be. He refuses to base a judgement on someone due to their race, ethnicity and orientation. He says“I believe that everyone is good and deserves to be treated with respect and kindness.” His goals are to make others happy, and he accomplishes this by telling elaborate stories and performing numerous magic tricks.

“The thing that I want Denison to never forget is that life is simple and we make it harder and more complicated for ourselves.”