Sept. 16, 2015
Mariam Alamiri is a senior majoring in human resource management. She is an MRULE student leader, an intercultural aide, student mentor and community service chairperson of the Leadership Institute at MSU.
I am an international student. I was born and raised in Saudi Arabia and came all the way to MSU for a brighter future. Throughout my journey, I faced struggles and hardships but I always believed in “Spartans Will” and I will continue to make a difference in this world. Being a Homecoming Court ambassador is an opportunity for me to be an inspiring role model to my fellow Spartans through encouraging them to celebrate their unique differences and to be effective members of the Spartan community.
I first got here to MSU on Aug. 15, 2012. It's a place I consider a fairytale land where my dreams came true. I was a scared freshman who just traveled all the way across the world, far away from home. I wanted to be in a place where I could finally see snow, and so I believed in “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.”
Surprisingly, my first MSU adventure started when I was 6 years old. One day I saw snow on TV and my eyes were just glowing as if I saw Cinderella's castle. I turned my face toward my mother and said, “Mommy, I want to live in a place where snow is everywhere.”
She did not think that 12 years later, she would let her baby go “where the snow glows white on the mountain and not a footprint is to be seen.” When I got admitted to MSU, I started searching through pictures and videos of that place that I would consider “home” for the next four years. I got so excited when I read some reviews saying, “If you like to freeze, come to Michigan.” This made me even more determined.
As you go through your life, you come across many people along the way. Some people resonate with you, and others not as much. During your wonderful life journey, one thing is certain: There will always be that one person who has touched you in some way — that one person who has made the biggest impact in your life.
My MSU fairytale story happened at 8:15 a.m. Aug. 16, 2012 when I first met my husband at the East Lansing Marriott Hotel lobby. Yes, it was love at first sight. I admired his leadership style and compassion. He helped me to overcome so many obstacles I had to face during my freshman year, including the culture barrier.
Although my freshman year was the most challenging chapter of my life, it was the best because I met him. And guess what? He was a Homecoming Court ambassador that year! I did not really know what it meant to be on Homecoming Court but as days passed by, he invited me to come and watch the Homecoming parade. While standing there and seeing him being recognized with his fellow ambassadors, that is when I decided to make all my days count while I was at MSU. That is when I was determined to do my best to get the honor to represent MSU as a Homecoming Court ambassador.
As a leader, you have the choice to start from scratch and build yourself up. I choose to follow a legacy. Whoever that person is for you, and whatever it is that they did which had a big impact in your life, make sure to pass on what they gave you to others. This is one of the ways you would go about leaving a legacy. Keep this in mind as you go through your life and always let that person know how much they have contributed to the magnificence of who you are today.
Go Green, Go White, Grow Global!
Reprinted with permission from the MSU Homecoming Blog