In summer 2019, University of Iowa student Ala Mohamed, double majoring in enterprise leadership and Asian languages and literature (Chinese), took her first of two global experiences to China to study abroad.

“You never know who you might meet or what you might learn,” said Mohamed. “I went into my study abroad experience thinking I would just go into international business after I graduated and figure out my next steps in life from there, but I came back from my experience confident knowing I want to go into modeling and use my degree to inspire others to get outside their comfort zone too.”

Mohamed’s journey ‘getting outside of her comfort zone’ started at a young age. She was born in Sudan, but was raised in the United States, having first moved to Clarkston, Georgia, when she was younger then moving to Iowa City, Iowa, when she was 13 years old.

"When I started middle school in Iowa City, I started learning a third language," said Mohamed. "I spoke Arabic at home, and knew English as well, so I decided to take Spanish. My senior year of high school, I wanted to start learning the Korean language but they cut the program that year. Due to this, I decided to take Mandarin, knowing I wanted to learn a new language and be able to communicate with other people.”

Mohamed studied Mandarin throughout her senior year and when it came time to consider her next steps, she chose to attend the University of Iowa, but Mandarin wasn't a part of her career plans, yet.

“I’m very glad I came to the University of Iowa,” Mohamed shared. “While exploring majors, I thought I wanted to be a doctor and then I thought maybe I wanted to be a lawyer. There was a time when I wanted to be an author because I enjoy writing quite a bit. When the opportunity presented itself to study abroad, though, I decided to step outside my comfort zone and say yes to the experience. I wanted to go somewhere in China so I could continue to learn Mandarin and experience the language first hand.” By this time in her college career, Mohamed had chosen her majors but wasn’t set on how she’d apply those majors in her future. That’s where her study abroad experiences played major roles in shaping her future.

“I initially picked the Iowa in Tianjin study abroad experience so I could go with some students in my Asian languages and literature (Chinese) classes,” Mohamed explained. “I was nervous about going to a different country and experiencing a new place by myself for the first time so studying abroad with others from the University of Iowa helped me feel more at ease. Once I was there, though, I met new friends in China, got to know the culture more, and explored life together with some friends there. It was my first time being by myself away from family, but all the nervousness went away after being in the country.”

After her first summer abroad, Mohamed decided to go back to China, but this time she headed to Shanghai, China, through the CIEE’s Business, language, and Culture Study Abroad Program with the help of a Stanley Merit-Based Scholarship.

“When I went to Shanghai, I was the only one from the University of Iowa with the CIEE’s study abroad program that semester,” shared Mohamed. “I was meeting students from all over the United States and the rest of the world and lived in an international dorm building with people from places like Norway, Russia, Canada, and Morocco, to name a few. Shanghai was neat because the city is very business-oriented, but the type of clothing everyone wore was cool. As someone interested in fashion, I was able to see different styles of Chinese streetwear simply by walking around the city and being amidst the culture.”

One day, the school Mohamed was studying at was hosting an organization/club fair and, while walking through the fair, a student studying fashion design asked Mohamed if she had ever considered joining the modeling club.

“I ended up joining the modeling club and it was more like classes I was being taught,” said Mohamed. “All the modeling classes were taught in Mandarin and the instructor didn’t know English so the others in the class and I were truly immersed while we learned. We showed up every day, learned proper posture, how to move our hands while modeling, and if we were moving too fast or too slow while walking. The school had a fashion show promoted by L'Oréal that I got to model in. The entire experience really made me think about going in to modeling and fashion for my career.”

Mohamed’s journey to becoming an Instagram and Tik Tok influencer is a more recent endeavor but one that has allowed her to continue connecting with the world in new ways from here in Iowa.“Study abroad influenced me in many ways,” Mohamed shared. “One way was it helped me build confidence. I was very shy before I went abroad, and I was unable to stand up for myself. Being put in a country where I didn’t know anyone made me rely on myself more. Before studying abroad, I was very timid in my fashion expression and now after experiencing the fashion world within China and being a model, it helped make my dream more defined. I am now more confident I want to be a model, be an influencer, and use my education and experiences abroad in China to impact others in my work.”

“Globalization is becoming a real thing,” Mohamed said. “Modeling and fashion have helped me establish who I am as a person, a communicator, and someone who loves to learn different languages and cultures. I am using Instagram and Tik Tok to build my personal brand. On Tik Tok, I can continue to speak Mandarin with others from around the world and connect with people outside of Iowa City. I don’t think I’d be as confident in my future if it wasn’t for my studying abroad experiences in college.”

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