International Student Activities

Abiatou Sidibe Samira
Country: Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire)
Major: Business
Email: sasdidib@gmail.com

My full name is Abiatou Sidibe Samira, and my mother country is Ivory Coast (Cote d'Ivoire). As an international student, Houston Community College has given me wonderful things than I expected, starting from confidence to pride, and integrity. I used to be scared to leave my comfort zone and face my fellows’ judgments. Houston Community College helps me surmount the barriers that have stopped me since my high school years. If I have to say one word to describe what I have gained so far from HCC, I will say faith. As an ISA member, I want to guide all international students to the pathway of an unstoppable mindset. I am certain that with this 2022-2023 team, it will happen

Yulian Desta Bolka

Country: Ethiopia

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Email: w213306284@student.hccs.edu

My name is Yulian Desta Bolka and I’m from Ethiopia. I chose HCC because it was affordable, very diverse and had a lot of great programs to choose from. As an international student coming to a new country that you are unfamiliar with might be challenging, but the diversity in HCC really helps with it. There are a lot of international students here at HCC, so I learnt and related to their struggles and stories, which helped me out a lot. HCC also has a great opportunity for engineering programs, that is the partnerships it has with some of Houston’s top Universities. Therefore, choosing HCC was a no brainer for me.

Sayma Said El Hoderi

Country: Libya

Major: Nutrition

Email: selhoderi@gmail.com

My name is Sayma Said El Hoderi. I am from Libya. I went to high school in Turkey, so I know all about the struggles that international students have students have when it’s their first time in a foreign country. I decided to apply to be an international student ambassador so that I could help international students with any difficulties that they might face. I first heard about HCC(Houston Community College) from my brother that has also been a student here in the past, and I am glad that I made the decision to go to HCC. The community and opportunities that are here are ones of the best. I hope that you all can find and benefit from all the opportunities supplied as I do.

Josue Canaza

Country: Peru

Major: Biology

Email: josuefcanaza@gmail.com

I am an international student pursuing an A.S. in Biology at HCC, also I am part of the Honors Program at Central. In my experience, Houston Community College has been a place full of opportunities to advance and excel academically. Besides that, the diversity of Houston is well-reflected in the academic experience and social environment. The variety of cultures represented at HCC offers a great learning opportunity, it's always been exciting to share experiences with friends from different backgrounds. The thriving academic environment is also worthy of notice, the small class sizes facilitate learning and engagement with professors. I would also highlight The Honors Program at HCC, which has provided the social environment and academic resources that have been beneficial to a great extent for my overall experience.

Marta Pemba Sambo

Country: Angola

Major: Computer Information Systems

Email: w211727330@student.hccs.edu

My name is Marta Sambo. I’m from Angola, I’m one of the International Student Ambassadors at Houston Community College. My sister studied at HCC and she told me that I should go to Houston because it's affordable compared to other places in the United States. I chose HCC not only for being affordable, but also for being accredited. Right now, I am majoring in Computer Information Systems. In the future, I wish to become a Data Analysist.

Thy Nguyen

Country: Vietnam

Major: Child Development

Email: w213144629@student.hccs.edu

My name is Thy Nguyen. I am from Vietnam. I am currently pursuing the major of Child Development. My first degree is bachelor of English at a university. Child Development will be my second bachelor’s degree. For this second degree, I choose Houston Community College because the tuition fee is affordable. After I get an associate degree from Houston Community College, I can transfer to a university to get a four-year degree. Furthermore, HCC also offers a variety of programs, which provides students with more options. They can consider more choices of careers in their future. My best advice for future students is to be active and confident. When you are active and confident, you can have more opportunities to make your dreams come true.

Sarah El Hoderi

Country: Libya

Major: Business

Email: sarahelhoderi@gmail.com

Hi, I am Sarah El Hoderi. I graduated from high school four years ago not knowing whether to study abroad nor which major I wanted to study. When I came to HCC, I still did not know what to study but fortunately. That was not an obstacle for me to start my self growth journey. I just started taking classes and working on having more opportunities. Today, I am still not sure what to study lol but at least I am almost graduating with a business associate degree, a student president of Central campus. Also, a managing officer for three other organizations. After spending a year at HCC, I have a clear vision of my professional goals and what I would love to do in my life. The message I want to deliver is that: You do not have to know exactly what you want to do in order to move forward. You will discover it while going through your journey. Just be optimistic, keep going and enjoy the process.