My name is Maria Alsubhi and I am a freshman International Student at the University of Colorado Boulder, studying Ecology and Evolutionary Biology with minors in Sociology and Leadership (through the President’s Leadership Class). Here is a little insight into my path to Boulder and my experience at CU so far!
My journey to Boulder began with a campus tour. I came to campus on a wintery day, snow covering the building and glistening in the trees. That scene, with the Flatirons, beautiful in the background, was what made me fall in love with the University of Colorado Boulder. Soon after, I applied for their Integrative Physiology program, one of the best in the world. They made applying easy for International students, not much different from the regular application process for U.S. residents. For that, I was grateful, and it was my first time seeing how inclusive CU Boulder is of their international student body.
I signed up for the First Year Service Experience through the Volunteer Resource Center and lived on Harvest Farm for a week, volunteering alongside men going through rehabilitation for substance abuse disorders. It was my first time meeting other CU Boulder student volunteers, and they were the first friends I made on-campus! We walked the goats, groomed the cows, cooked in the kitchen with produce we picked from the farm, and our coworkers were the men from the rehabilitation center. It changed the way I viewed addiction and was one of the best experiences I have ever had. I am really grateful for the Alternative Breaks (AB) program at CU, for the friends I have made through it, and for the memories I made on their trip. Now, I am a Site Leader for AB, leading a trip over Spring Break concerning Youth Science Education. There are also two other international student site leaders this year, one from China and one from Ghana. The program really appreciates diversity and makes everyone feel included.
When I arrived on campus to move-in, there were many activities set up to meet people and make friends! There were ziplines, a concert, club fairs, events on the hill, Ralphie the Buffalo would be hanging out around campus with her handlers, and events within specific residence halls (especially if you lived in a RAP (Residential Academic Program)! I met many, many people around this time, and everyone was really nice and just wanted to be friends. All my worries about being lonely in college were gone. It was a great week!
Once the year kicked off, the fun did not stop. There were many chances to go to the mountains with my friends on the weekends, there were football games to attend, opportunities to go explore downtown Denver—only an hour long bus-ride away! At CU Boulder, there are many opportunities for adventure available to all types of students. Whatever your passion is, CU has something for you to do and people for you to find as your new best friends!
Maria Alsubhi
Integrative Physiology Major
First-year student
CU Boulder, Class of 2022