After two days of travel, three plane rides and teary-eyed goodbyes to her friends and family, Saima Tanveer touched down ready to dive headfirst into the unknown, taking a bite out of the Little Apple.
Born and raised in Kuwait, senior interior design major Tanveer was excited to see the world through a fresh set of eyes.
“I spent 19 years there [in Kuwait],” Tanveer said. “Once I finished high school, there was a big fuss about me finding a major, so I started exploring more options in other countries, and I came across the interior design program at Kansas State. I found out that it was one of the top five accredited programs in America, so I just applied.”
Tanveer has stayed in touch with her creative side and knew interior design would be a perfect match for her at K-State.
“Back home, I was a science student, and I used to cry myself to sleep every night,” Tanveer said. “I’ve always been creative; I always loved painting, sketching and using my creative side in general.”
Moving across the world at 19, Tanveer was unsure what to expect on her solo journey. Nearly four years later, she has learned that small talk didn’t only culturally shock her but presented her with opportunities to meet new people.
“I think I’m an extrovert … and the culture of small talk here is how I’ve made friends,” Tanveer said.
Despite interior design taking up a large portion of her time, Tanveer worked two on-campus jobs her sophomore year to help her keep up with expenses, working the maximum amount of hours allowed.
“I worked in the union at Chick-fil-A and at International Admissions,” said Tanveer. “The only problem I had was time, because I’m an international student and can only work on-campus jobs until 5 p.m.”
However, not all of Tanveer’s experiences lived up to the American Dream. Last year, Tanveer received alerts that ICE was in Manhattan. Panic began to set in as she started to question the uncertainty of her future.
“I was really nervous,” Tanveer said.
Tanveer immediately took action and began contacting her advisors and mentors.
“I had reached out to so many people; my academic advisors, international advisors, even Power Cat Financial,” said Tanveer. “I tried to do everything I could from my side.”
Tanveer’s advisors encouraged her and other international students to remain on campus and avoid going out if possible.
“They were saying that they cannot really come on campus, so we were safer as long as we were here [on campus]” Tanveer said. “But if we go off campus, then they can arrest us.”
Tanveer’s friends and classmates also began worrying about her safety. Her friend Lillian Rogers, a senior interior design major, stressed her concerns about her friend’s situation.
“I didn’t want anything to happen to her,” Rogers said. “I was worried that if she went off campus, something awful would happen.”
The uncertainty of how each day would unfold took a negative toll on Tanveer’s academic life.
“It was not my best semester because of the nerves surrounding the ICE mass deportations,” Tanveer said.
To maintain a valid visa, Tanveer is required to return home to Kuwait every six months. However, because of ICE, she worried about being able to come back to America if she decided to leave.
“My biggest worry was not being able to come back for my final year because of all of the deportations and the uncertainty happening everywhere,” Tanveer said.
Tanveer said that if anyone is going through a similar experience, she wants them to make sure their I’s are dotted and T’s are crossed.
“The advice I would give is to know what your rights are,” Tanveer said. “That has really helped me. Make sure your documents and everything are up to date, and you have it all on you at all times.”
