Dana Scott/Winonan

Sophomore Jemimah Akhimien, an advertising major, is an international student from Lagos, Nigeria.

After graduation, Akhimien hopes to receive optional practical training (OPT), which allows international students to work in the U.S. for a year.

She would like to work for an ad agency first, and if that does not work out, she would go to graduate school for business. Another option Akhimien joked about was to “get married.”

Coming to the U.S. for college was Akhimien’s first time to this country and she flew alone.

“The thought of leaving your family is sad. You can’t go home when you’re homesick,” Akhimien said. “But when I think of the future I can suck it up for four years.”

Akhimien said the reason she wanted to attend college in the U.S. was because of better education and new experiences.

“Well, I like purple,” Akhimien joked about her decision to attend Winona State University.

When exploring the Winona State website, Akhimien said she could see herself sitting in the classrooms.

She also said it is cheaper than other schools she was looking at, and actually has an advertising program, as opposed to other schools that just have mass communications.

Akhimien also explained how she generally likes how small Winona is, and the best part is how one can never get lost.

Another aspect of traveling to the U.S. for school that made Akhimien nervous was the thought of not making friends and leaving friends behind.

She said she felt lost during her first two semesters and like no one knew who she was. But since then Akhimien shared she has done “a lot of not-Jemimah things, and it’s been really great.”

“Now I’m a resident assistant and everyone knows who I am,” Akhimien said. “This new experience [as an RA] has been the best part.”

Akhimien gave another example, like when she ran for homecoming queen this fall, representing the international office this past homecoming.

Akhimien shared how her expectations of the U.S. compared to how it actually is.

“Honestly, I was expecting too much,” Akhimien said. “Like sky scrapers and maybe flying cars.”

She explained how she went to Maryland before coming to Minnesota, and this made her appreciate how nice people are here.

She also explained how she did not expect the questions she’s received from others about being from Africa.

“People ask me really sad and basic questions about Africa,” Akhimien said, “Like why is your hair like that? Or are you from a village? I did not expect that ignorance in this part of the world, but it’s a learning experience for everyone.”

Akhimien explained she does not like to categorize people because everyone has different personalities and, for the most part, she has felt accepted.

She explained how she has shared part of her culture with the Winona State community. She participated in the international dinner, where international students showcased their countries. She also gave an example of her friend, Rachel, who has learned to cook Nigerian food and now listens to Nigerian music.

Akhimien also explained that she mostly shares her culture with people by just having simple conversations with them.

Akhimien said this has been a good experience for her, and she has had fun.

“Hey, it turned out well,” Akhimien said.

She explained how the education system differs in the U.S. compared to in Nigeria. In Nigeria, the grading scale to get an A is 75-100, unlike most classes in the U.S., where it is 90-100.

Because of this, Akhimien shared how one of the things she was most nervous about when attending college in the U.S., was keeping her grades up.

Despite this, Akhimien shared school is easier for her in this country. She explained that in Nigeria they would have one huge test in a class and would have about sixty pages of reading for one class each night.

Akhimien shared she studied law in Nigeria, but when she came to the U.S. she switched the advertising.

“I’m glad I’m doing something I love,” Akhimien said. “And that’s all that matters.”