Meet Nabhan Al Hajri
Al Hajri moves beyond comfort zone to great success
May 5, 2021 | by Aaliyah Wells-Samci
When Nabhan Al Hajri thinks back to one of his first memories in Nebraska, he thinks how small his comfort zone was.
For the first three months of living in Lincoln, he hardly spoke out in classes for with students and professors. All of that changed when a fellow international student invited Al Hajri to join a sports club to meet other students.
"Indeed, after a short period of time, I was able to find confidence in myself, talk with people and make friends from many different countries. I am happy with that now," Al Hajri said.
Originally from Oman, Al Hajri has been involved with many activities and programs during his time at the university. From being a member of the National Society of Leadership and Success to excelling in his field of landscape architecture. He was even nominated to present a speech to the graduates of the architecture college this year — an accomplishment he's very proud of from his last four years.
"For those wishing to learn, develop and strive for excellence, I advise them to come to UNL, as it meets all students' needs in order to achieve the maximum extent of development, progress and advancement without exception."
-Nabhan Al Hajri
Oman
Al Hajri says his favorite part about Nebraska is the environment and friendly, happy and welcoming people. One of his best memories is from the most recent fall semester, where he took a studio class with a mixture of students from different architecture specifications.
"The work we did at the end of the chapter was very impressive because it was a team effort," he said.
Al Hajri wants to thank all the people who have helped him achieve his dreams over the years he has attended UNL, whether it was in big or small ways. He is the first in his family to be graduating from UNL and the first to graduate from a country outside the Middle East.
"My family, who has endured for years in exile and endured many of the days that I have been absent from," Al Hajri shared. "I love to thank them for their continuous support for me and their trust in me in every decision I have made to this day."
As a member of the international community at UNL, he does feel as though he has educated others on his home country. By contributing to stories by the Daily Nebraskan and sharing his story with others, Al Hajri is letting others explore different cultures.
"My response to them was that I left my comfort zone with the aim of exchanging cultures with others and educating and learning from them," he said. "Which gave me a new advantage to be social in a country that is foreign to me."
Al Hajri is most looking forward to new challenges and experiences in the future. After graduation, he plans to continue his master's degree at UNL and has summer internships planned.