By Elena Rami

Being an international student at SPC has been by far the best experience I have ever had. Everything started when I decided that I wanted to study in the U.S. at the age of 14. Many will think that this is a very young age to think about college, but I have been taught to think about the future and who I want to be, and as a teenager I wanted to explore and live the so-known “American dream.”

I wanted to get to know the diversity of this country and learn more about the world. When I turned 18, I started to search for a college or university that would offer low tuition, the degrees that I was looking forward to exploring, in the area where I wanted to live, with the commodities of not having to drive for hours and flexible classes and times. SPC was the college that included all my requirements. Located with many campuses near my house, lower tuition in comparison with other universities around the area, great professors, flexible hours, and a variety of classes either face-to-face or online. This was my jackpot!

I took the opportunity, and I applied. The application process was very straightforward, and I had a great support from school because as an international student you do not know how everything works and you have so many questions which were always patiently answered.

Once I got accepted by SPC, I applied for my student visa which I received and after 6 months I finally came to Florida, the sunshine state which I love for everything that has to offer especially for an international student that does not like the cold like me. It has been almost 4 years since I moved to Florida and I cannot forget the first day of college.

I went to Seminole campus, which has a very peaceful atmosphere and is a very well-organized campus. Everyone was so nice and friendly. All the advisors that were smiling at me at every campus I have been to, and have helped me in my educational journey in the U.S. They have led me and showed me how to succeed. I cannot forget how many questions I had when I was applying to SPC, but every time I asked repeatedly the same questions, everyone was so patient and gave me all the information I needed.

The professors are very educated, and they are here for you. They try to make things easy and help you to learn how to study and succeed, which I think is the most important thing when it comes to everyone’s education. Even if you feel that you are not very good in English, they will help you become better and raise your self-esteem.

Currently, I am in the nursing program at SPC which is a very challenging program, but is what I always wanted to do, help people and be there for them to educate them how to live a healthier life. I love going and practicing on clinicals in different hospitals, which help me get the experience and work closely with licensed nurses, doctors, radiologists, etc. It is a great experience to gain knowledge and practice it which was especially during hard during the pandemic, but SPC has managed to run everything very smoothly for us without stopping us from gaining experience.

SPC is not just about education, but it is also about fun. There are a lot of student activities that take place in campuses and online. Starting from sports, to theme activities, activities for international students, celebrations, etc. There are a lot of clubs to participate, a lot of people to meet and many scholarship opportunities. All these activities help you make friends from all over the world, learn about traditions, food, social and economic aspects, worldwide problems, etc.

I am very grateful and happy to be an international student at SPC. I hope many more students around the world get to experience that I and other students like me are experiencing now. Investing in your future will always pay off with a successful future.