Transfer, visa options give Saudi student a chance to accomplish his dream

Hani Al-Hashem combined Minnesota State transfer credits and work experience into a combination that propelled him to complete his bachelor’s degree.

As a Saudi, Al-Hashem first came to Minnesota to study at North Hennepin Community College as a transfer student in 1999. After transferring to Minneapolis Community College, he earned his associate degree in 2003 and then entered the work field.

Like many non-traditional students, he found that his experience guided him when he came back to finish his bachelor’s degree at St. Cloud State beginning in spring 2017.

“It helped me so much,” he said. “When I go to class, I always have something to say because everything you are telling us or explaining — it happened to me at work.”

Al-Hashem said he has the experience to be successful in the workforce, but he wants to complete his bachelor’s degree to be the complete applicant that employers are seeking, he said.

“Experience by itself is not going to take me anywhere,” he said. “It could if I’m lucky. But to enter that door for a good career, you need that piece of paper. You need that certificate.

“If you have the experience, that’s good. If you have both — you’re set.”

Family obligations called Al-Hashem back home to Saudi Arabia after graduation in 2003, and he found a good job as an administrative assistant at an air base.

He got married and welcomed two children, but his goal of a degree remained. When his wife and children came to Minnesota in 2010 as she pursued her master’s and doctorate at St. Thomas, Al-Hashem stayed in Saudi Arabia to continue working.

UNLEASH ENTERPRISE

When his contract at the air base ended, Al-Hashem followed his family to Minnesota on an F-2 visa, and watching his wife and friends pursue their education goals reignited his own goal of completing his bachelor’s degree. He was dividing his time between being with his family in Minnesota and working and looking for other opportunities in Saudi Arabia, but he realized that his associate degree didn’t carry as much weight on the job market anymore.

“I was like, you know what, I’m not moving anywhere without that bachelor’s degree,” he said. “Not here in the states, not back home. I need that bachelor’s degree.”

He checked with a few universities in Minnesota initially, but was told that they didn’t take F-2 students, but then a good friend invited Al-Hashem to his commencement at St. Cloud State in spring 2017.

“I asked if he’d do a favor and ask at the school if they’d take an F-2 student, and what’s the cost for a class,” he said. “… I told him, get me these two answers, and I’ll take it from there.”

The next day Al-Hashem got the news he’d been hoping for.

“He called me and said: ‘Guess what, I have good news for you,’” Al-Hashem said.

St. Cloud State allows dependents of F-1 students who are in the United States on an F-2 visa to take up to 11 credits as a special student. That was just enough so that Al-Hashem could start working toward his bachelor’s and pay his way.

The next day he called St. Cloud State to get his application started. Admissions directed him to fill out the application online and from there they pulled up his previous transcripts. They said they’d let him know what credits would transfer.

“They called me and they told me … ‘We are going to accept and transfer about 44 credits,” Al-Hashem said, that was almost double the amount of credits he thought would apply to his new management major.

Transferring from a community college in the system was so easy, that’s all Al-Hashem needed to do until he came to his Advising and Registration day to register for classes.

As a management student, Hani Al-Hashem takes many of his classes in Centennial Hall.

“I will not forget the 44 credits. It really helped,” he said. “It covered most of the goal areas.”

Al-Hashem started at St. Cloud State in spring 2017 and his good luck continued. He learned that semester he qualified for a Saudi government scholarship that would pay for his tuition to allow him to go full-time the following semester.

While the scholarship and credits made achieving his dream easier, it was Al-Hashem’s drive and hard-working spirit that helped him finish his degree.

If he needed to come to campus five days a week, he did. If he had to stay up late to study after work, he did. He planned his days around school, often coming to campus hours early to do classwork after dropping his daughter off at school in the morning.

His professors and the university helped, too. When he wanted to get back to work, his professors helped him sign up for internship classes that would let him get credit while working. When he needed an override to take a night class instead of the three-day alternative, the department worked with his schedule, he said.

Returning to the classroom wasn’t easy at first, Al-Hashem said he had to get used to classwork again and working with students.

“After being here for a semester and engaging with professors and the students, I felt this is just like almost — home,” he said. “This is really a warm environment.”

Al-Hashem said he sees this as a part of the American higher education system — anyone is welcome to attend.

“It doesn’t matter if you’re a young person or a grandmother who decided to come back to class, you’re still welcome,” he said. “You’ll still be treated as one of the students.”

As Al-Hashem is looking forward to his graduation in May and then returning to the workforce full time. After that, who knows. He may continue with his education to pursue his master’s degree.

“It’s never too late,” he said. “Education is a door. It’s everything in life.”