S2E18: Seattle Colleges Conversations with! International Student Kadidiatou Marthe of Côte d'Ivoire

In this our eighteenth (18th) episode of Season 2, Seattle Colleges host Evan Franulovich interviews international student Kadidiatou Marthe of Côte d'Ivoire about her experience here at Seattle Colleges and about life in the United States. 

1:37 - Meet Kadi!

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Transcript

Evan Franulovich  0:05  
Welcome to Seattle Colleges International Programs and our show 'Conversations with!', where we talk to people that help you understand how you too, can be an international student in the United States and why Seattle Colleges should be your first choice. We'll talk to students and staff and agents and government folks, all kinds of people about what you can expect when you're getting ready to apply or travel here, what you'll experience while you're with us, and how it can all lead to an amazing life. Don't forget to check out the Seattle Colleges International Programs website at intl.seattlecolleges.edu where you can find a treasure trove of information about the school, the programs here and best of all, fill out and submit your application. Again, that's intl.seattlecolleges.edu.

Evan Franulovich  1:07  
Hey everybody! It's Evan Franulovich and 'Conversations with!' Welcome to Kadidiatou who is from the country of Côte d'Ivoire. Our first guest from Côte d'Ivoire, I'm so excited. How are you?

Kadi  1:24  
I'm fine. Thank you. How are you?

Evan Franulovich  1:25  
I'm wonderful. It's a beautiful day outside.

Kadi  1:28  
Yeah, but a little bit cold.

Evan Franulovich  1:31  
It is a little cold. When I walked my dogs this morning, my feet slipped on the... It's a little icy. Yeah, I mean, I didn't fall down, but... 

Kadi  1:40  
Oh, it's okay though. 

Evan Franulovich  1:41  
It was okay. I'm okay. But it is a little chilly. But the sun is out, which is wonderful. 

Kadi  1:47  
It's really beautiful. 

Evan Franulovich  1:49  
Now, Côte d'Ivoire... good weather in Côte d'Ivoire.

Kadi  1:53  
My country's the best. I can say that. It's always like shiny and sometimes also cold when it's rainy. 

Evan Franulovich  1:59  
Oh, yeah. 

Kadi  2:00  
But most of the time it's shiny.

Evan Franulovich  2:02  
You ever see snow? 

Kadi  2:03  
No. No snow in Africa.

Evan Franulovich  2:06  
There is snow in Africa. 

Kadi  2:07  
Which country? 

Evan Franulovich  2:08  
Kilimanjaro. You go to Tanzania. Some of the mountains in Tanzania have snow.

Kadi  2:13  
I've never been there. 

Evan Franulovich  2:14  
You should go, it's beautiful. 

Kadi  2:16  
I will. Probably, i'm coming.

Evan Franulovich  2:18  
There you go. Tanzania, watch out. Yeah, cool. Yeah, not much snow. But there's some. And Morocco gets snow too sometimes up in the Atlas Mountains.

Kadi  2:26  
Yeah, in Morocco. So I'm sorry. It's snowing...

Evan Franulovich  2:30  
But we definitely get snow here, just not yet. And we don't get very much. Thankfully.

Kadi  2:35  
... really beautiful though.

Evan Franulovich  2:37  
Right. I agree. I think people worry that come from really nice climates, where there's a lot of sunshine, they worry that it's just gonna rain all the time in Seattle. But is that true?

Kadi  2:49  
No, that's not true. Sometimes it's rainy, but it's really good. Because you can just stay on bed, watch Netflix, chill...

Evan Franulovich  2:56  
Or maybe study?

Kadi  2:58  
Oh, we studied, we used to study. Like, but our program is... I was... our schedule's kind of flexible. So we know when we should study and also when we should chill... But with everything, we get a good grade. That's the most important.

Evan Franulovich  3:11  
As long as you're doing your work. You get a good grade, for sure. Okay, well, let's tell everybody, what are you majoring in?

Kadi  3:18  
I'm doing double major. Yeah. I'm doing political science and economics. And here at Seattle Central I'm doing an art degree transfer to the university. Because I want just to spend two years here to kind of save money and after that, spend the other two years in university so that my parents don't have to pay so much. And it's really working because I'm about to graduate.

Evan Franulovich  3:44  
When do you graduate? When is your...

Kadi  3:46  
Normally, I have to graduate in winter but as like an international student, I have to speed my classes. I would just be taking three classes in the winter quarter. And the last one is spring quarter.

Evan Franulovich  3:56  
Oh, great. And then do you plan on walking during graduation at the you know, they usually do graduation at the baseball stadium.

Kadi  4:04  
Yeah. T-Mobile Park. It's really beautiful. I've been there to watch like the baseball. 

Evan Franulovich  4:09  
Oh, yeah. 

Kadi  4:10  
Yeah, the baseball match. But let me tell you something. The school give us the tickets, so it was free. 

Evan Franulovich  4:14  
It was? 

Kadi  4:15  
Yeah, it was free. The school give us the tickets.

Evan Franulovich  4:17  
That's cool. 

Kadi  4:18  
It was free. 

Evan Franulovich  4:19  
I want to go. 

Kadi  4:20  
Oh, I'm sorry.

Evan Franulovich  4:21  
Did we win?

Kadi  4:22  
No. We just lost like one time. I was so into it. 

Evan Franulovich  4:27  
Do you do you guys have baseball in Côte d'Ivoire? 

Kadi  4:29  
No, but I used to watch it because before being in Seattle, I was in California.

Evan Franulovich  4:34  
Oh, you were?

Kadi  4:35  
Yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  4:35  
What were you doing in California?

Kadi  4:37  
I was at ELS. 

Evan Franulovich  4:38  
ELS... that's a language...

Kadi  4:40  
Yeah. To learn English as second language. 

Evan Franulovich  4:42  
And which city was that in? 

Kadi  4:44  
In La Verne. California, La Verne. Oh, the city is really beautiful it's like a countryside. It's sunny, like like in Seattle. No snow. Sometimes rain. It was really good.

Evan Franulovich  4:57  
So is that central California, south California? Which part of the state?

Kadi  5:01  
South California.

Evan Franulovich  5:02  
It's in the south, alright. Wow. And that was a good experience? 

Kadi  5:05  
Yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  5:05  
Oh, great.

Kadi  5:06  
I really love it.

Evan Franulovich  5:08  
So you came from there directly to Seattle? Or did you go home first? 

Kadi  5:12  
No. I came like directly here because I came with my mother. And she kind of with me, and it's easy. Like it was easy for her like to get a visa. I was even with my little sister. She was only five months, which we traveled together.

Evan Franulovich  5:29  
Your sister is five months old?

Kadi  5:31  
Yeah, she was five months old. Now. She's one year. 

Evan Franulovich  5:33  
Wow. 

Kadi  5:34  
And we use to travel together.

Evan Franulovich  5:36  
Really? So that's interesting. Let's go... Let's... Okay, let me there's so many questions all of a sudden. Okay, let's go back first. So I was just in Côte d'Ivoire, which was amazing. And it was really good experience. I talked to a lot of students who, like you, are interested in coming to the United States. So you are going to... you did high school in Côte d'Ivoire? 

Kadi  5:59  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  5:59  
Which city?

Kadi  6:00  
Even starting university in Côte d'Ivoire. Because we have, we have a university with American program. It's called like International University of Grand Bassam, they did the same thing. And I'm kind of like a transfer student, because they transfer some of my credits here. 

Evan Franulovich  6:15  
Oh, that's great. 

Kadi  6:16  
So they can just start there to see the process, if they would like it. And let me tell you something, you will really like it. Because it's different from the high school. Because there you also have to choose your program, your teacher, when you want to go to school, with who you want to take classes...

Evan Franulovich  6:30  
And how many students are at that school?

Kadi  6:33  
Oh, a lot. Because they are a bachelor program. They don't have master they are a bachelor program. And they used to transfer students to Minnesota, Arkansas, and even here. I'm the proof. I'm here.

Evan Franulovich  6:44  
She's the proof. Did you get a lot of credits transferred? How many credits did you...

Kadi  6:49  
Yeah, I get a lot of credit transferred, like 50? 

Evan Franulovich  6:53  
Oh, my gosh. That is a lot. That's a really great deal. Did you learn about Seattle Colleges while you were there or did you learn about it once you were in the United States.

Kadi  7:04  
When I was in Africa. When I was in Ivory Coast.

Evan Franulovich  7:06  
So how did you hear about us?

Kadi  7:07  
One of my advisors told me about. You see that because I want to go like to the PhD, I want to have a PhD like in both political science and economics. And you save that this is a lot of money. I would just advise you to start at Seattle Central, which is like a kind of community college so that your parents can save money. And after that you can go the way you want to go.

Evan Franulovich  7:29  
So how did your... how did your advisor there know about... Had they been a student here before?

Kadi  7:34  
Not here, but my advisor used to study in the US. It was at Georgia University, Georgia State University in Atlanta. Much of them much of the advisor or teacher there have been in the US. They studied here, like in the past, so they can kind of direct us given advice about studying in the US.

Evan Franulovich  7:54  
That's cool. So what age were you when you first started thinking about becoming an international student?

Kadi  8:01  
Oh, my dad did it for me. 

Evan Franulovich  8:03  
Oh, he did?

Kadi  8:05  
Since I was like, in high school, he was saying that you should go to the US, I want you like to study in the US because of what you want to do. Because I want to be president one day. 

Evan Franulovich  8:14  
Oh, yeah! Really? 

Kadi  8:16  
If I got a chance to, I will.

Evan Franulovich  8:18  
That would be amazing! 

Kadi  8:19  
I'd be like the first woman president. No, not in Africa, but in Ivory Coast. 

Evan Franulovich  8:23  
Right, right, you would be the first. 

Kadi  8:25  
The first woman president, if God may allow me. Inshallah.

Evan Franulovich  8:28  
Inshallah, that would be very cool.

Kadi  8:30  
And like, he was saying that you should go like to the U.S. so that you can start learning from different people from different backgrounds, learn about the cultural system. Because no matter how Africa is developed, the US is, like far able. So we should learn.

Evan Franulovich  8:47  
We have a lot to learn from each other, I think.

Kadi  8:48  
Yeah, each other... kind of about my culture, I kind of know, a lot. Like you, you learn from me, and I learn from you. 

Evan Franulovich  8:57  
Exactly. 

Kadi  8:58  
And like with those two knowledge, I can be a better person, just stay in Africa to learn. So I'm kind of here like to learn everything from there and go back in Africa.

Evan Franulovich  9:08  
So a lot of the kids I talked to in Côte d'Ivoire weren't thinking about coming to the United States, they're thinking about going to France, because French is the main language, right?

Kadi  9:17  
Yeah, France is because of the main language because we already use to speak, we speak French. So it's easier. We don't have like to take ESL classes or to take English courses. Because like in high school, most of the student don't care about English. And I used to be one of them. 

Evan Franulovich  9:34  
Really? 

Kadi  9:35  
I used to be one of them. I just say, Oh, this is just I just want to have like a better grade to pass my class. And when my dad told me when I was 16, You should like take more seriously your English classes because I want you to go to the US, I say no. Now, I'm in big trouble, because I have to start thinking more. 

Evan Franulovich  9:52  
That's great.

Kadi  9:53  
And like, it's really nice to speak more languages. 

Evan Franulovich  9:57  
I agree. 

Kadi  9:57  
It's nice to be like bilingual or even speak like three language or four. I want to speak seven languages. This is my secrets.

Evan Franulovich  10:04  
What do you think is the next language you want to study?

Kadi  10:07  
I'm studying Spanish currently. Oh, cool.

Evan Franulovich  10:10  
Yeah. Que bueno.

Kadi  10:12  
Estoy muy bien, y tu?

Evan Franulovich  10:14  
Sí, bien gracias. That's so cool. And you know, there are some countries in your part of the world that are Spanish-speaking like Equatorial Guinea. That would be... go practice there. Well, I think that sounds like a really great plan. But in order to get there yet to finish here, then transfer. You talked about that. Do you know where you want to transfer?

Kadi  10:35  
Yeah, I want to go to Seattle U.

Evan Franulovich  10:37  
Oh, okay, just up the street.

Kadi  10:39  
And the best thing is that they have scholarships for international students, from $8,000 to $25,000. I'm kind of eligible for the $25,000 because I get a better GPA. 3.9.

Evan Franulovich  10:51  
That's really great. Have you talked to them already?

Kadi  10:54  
Yeah. Kind of. I was like at the Unity fair. I used to talk to them. And they even say that if you already took like English 101, English 102, you don't even need the English proficiency. Like no Duolingo. No, TOEFL,

Evan Franulovich  11:06  
Right. I wouldn't... Yeah, I wouldn't think so. Well, that's really great. If you need a name, I have talked to a couple of the people that worked down there so... I have people. 

Kadi  11:14  
That would be really great. 

Evan Franulovich  11:17  
Yeah, in fact, I plan to... I just sent them an email yesterday. And we're going to be doing an interview for the podcast with Seattle University. 

Kadi  11:25  
Oh, can I squat? 

Evan Franulovich  11:27  
You can sit in on it if you want to. We have a lot of partners, you know, that we work with, where you can do what's called the Transfer Admission Guarantee. So when you apply you write down... well, after Seattle Colleges I plan to go to, say, Seattle University or University of Washington or Washington State or whatever. And then that helps you get an admittance letter from both our school and from that school.

Evan Franulovich  11:51  
Oh, I want to... I want to do that. I want to be part of it.

Evan Franulovich  11:54  
Well, you're already here, though.

Kadi  11:55  
Yeah, I'm already here but I want to like, being part of the meeting if possible.

Evan Franulovich  11:59  
Oh, sure. Yeah. 

Kadi  12:00  
I'll just be sitting and be your assistant. I will say... and I won't say anything. 

Evan Franulovich  12:03  
Okay, that sounds good. 

Kadi  12:04  
I promise.

Evan Franulovich  12:05  
All right. I'll let you know when it's going to happen. Hopefully in the next few weeks. Are you going to be around for the holidays? 

Kadi  12:12  
Yes. 

Evan Franulovich  12:13  
Okay. Do you have a plan for Thanksgiving?

Kadi  12:17  
Yeah. Kind of going to the restaurant with my friends. And share gifts.

Evan Franulovich  12:24  
Gifts on Thanksgiving? 

Kadi  12:26  
Yeah.

Evan Franulovich  12:26  
You sure not Christmas?

Kadi  12:28  
No. 

Evan Franulovich  12:28  
All right. 

Kadi  12:29  
Because we are Muslim, we don't have Christmas. 

Evan Franulovich  12:31  
Oh, that's true.

Kadi  12:32  
In Islam, so... Even we don't have Thanksgiving but because I'm with different people, we are not all from the same background so we used to kind of working everybody's schedule.

Evan Franulovich  12:44  
Right... What about during Ramadan? Do you exchange gifts during Ramadan?

Kadi  12:48  
Yeah, it depends on family, but it's not mandatory. We can... we share food. We share food because we fast and after breaking the fast we all gather together. We eat big. Everything.

Evan Franulovich  13:01  
That sounds great. Yeah, when I was in when I was in West Africa, not just Côte d'Ivoire, but there was I saw a lot of Muslims that were there were some really nice... In fact, in Abidjan, I went to the mosque. I stayed in a hotel just up the street. It was beautiful.

Kadi  13:18  
Oh, did you visit plateau? Plateau is like our ... Seriously?

Evan Franulovich  13:22  
That's where I went. Yeah.

Kadi  13:23  
Did you went to the mosque there?

Evan Franulovich  13:25  
Yeah. But there was a wedding going. 

Kadi  13:26  
Oh, so the mosque name is Mosquée Salam du Plateau.

Evan Franulovich  13:29  
Yeah, I couldn't go in because there was a wedding going on. And I didn't want to... I didn't want to... 

Kadi  13:36  
Interrupt. 

Evan Franulovich  13:36  
Interrupt. Yeah, yeah. But I got to walk around the outside. 

Kadi  13:39  
Did you like it? 

Evan Franulovich  13:39  
And I did talk to a couple of the people that were standing around. Yeah, it was gorgeous. Beautiful. 

Kadi  13:44  
Thank you. 

Evan Franulovich  13:45  
It's so wonderful. Yeah. Okay, so you were... let's talk about your application process. So, your dad was like, you're going to the United States to study, which is really great. You..., did you have an agent? Or did you just apply directly on your own? 

Kadi  14:02  
No, someone helped me. 

Evan Franulovich  14:04  
Someone helped you in there. And that was a good experience? 

Kadi  14:07  
Yeah. It was really good though. 

Evan Franulovich  14:08  
So would you recommend that other students think about using an agent or using someone to help them?

Kadi  14:14  
It's not difficult, it's not difficult. But at that time, I didn't know like anything about it, because I was going already to school and my dad were doing the process. So he's the one who went to the agent. And when like, our had to go to the for the visa. I made the agent, because they already did everything for me. And just...  he asked me one thing, Are you interested in going like, why? I say, oh, I want to go to New York, because New York, really famous. Everybody knows about New York. And I also say that, Oh, I want to go to Seattle, because one of my advisors told me about it. And he said, Okay, forget about New York. Let's just try Seattle. And that's it.

Evan Franulovich  14:49  
Alright. So you applied, you got an i-20, and then you set up an interview for your visa appointment, right? 

Kadi  14:57  
Yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  14:57  
How long did it take from the time you got your I-20 to the time you got your interview?

Kadi  15:01  
Oh, about that one. I want to say like Seattle University... Seattle Colleges are the best, because they reply at any time. Some university or some colleges have like, deadlines to apply for applying and also deadline to response. But here, while you're applying they're still responding to you and it doesn't take long, at maximum 10 days.

Evan Franulovich  15:22  
Right. And I just got an email a few days ago that said that that process has been reduced to more like five days, so it's much faster.

Kadi  15:30  
Yeah, it's much faster. So if you're ready, just start.

Evan Franulovich  15:34  
Just do it. 

Kadi  15:35  
Yeah, just do it. 

Evan Franulovich  15:36  
Okay. 

Kadi  15:36  
You won't regret it. Look at me now.

Evan Franulovich  15:40  
The future president. 

Kadi  15:42  
Inshallah. 

Evan Franulovich  15:43  
Well, I believe you're gonna make that happen. That would be awesome. And when you do, I want to come to your inauguration.

Kadi  15:49  
You will. May God give us long life!

Evan Franulovich  15:53  
Yes, I hope so. Well, okay, so you went to your visa interview... How long was it?

Kadi  16:00  
Oh, I want to say something that will really surprise people.

Evan Franulovich  16:02  
Sure. 

Kadi  16:03  
The woman talked to me in French. 

Evan Franulovich  16:05  
Who? 

Kadi  16:05  
The woman in the embassy, she talked to me in French. 

Evan Franulovich  16:08  
Really, not in English?

Kadi  16:09  
I'm not joking. Me. Even my little sister is here with me. The woman also talk to her in French.

Evan Franulovich  16:14  
That's really interesting.

Kadi  16:16  
Like when I just kept stopping, I just had to say like, Good morning, and I give her like my paper. And she asked me, I realized ... talking to me in French. And she starting by saying that you you look like really cute. I said thank you. And everything went from that. 

Evan Franulovich  16:31  
What?

Kadi  16:32  
It was really easy.

Evan Franulovich  16:33  
But she didn't do your whole interview in French did she?

Kadi  16:36  
She did everything in French. 

Evan Franulovich  16:38  
See, now that's the first time I've heard something like that. 

Kadi  16:41  
She did all my interview in French, everything. Everything I just be natural. Be you. Don't try to be someone else. She's a native English speaker. How can a French speaker influence or kind of want to manage a native English speaker with your English? Even accent is not the same thing. You would just start with a good morning, how are you? And I said ... she starts going like, you cannot go with her? It's not possible. So just be you. If she asked you be honest in like in your response, and you would get it. And like she would just give you like the yellow ticket and in the moment and say, Thank you! You have the visa. You can just come by like in two days to get your... that's all. 

Evan Franulovich  17:22  
Wow. 

Kadi  17:22  
Even people from Ghana, Nigeria, they stopped by my country to get the visa. 

Evan Franulovich  17:27  
I've heard that.

Kadi  17:27  
I saw a lot of them. 

Evan Franulovich  17:29  
Really? 

Kadi  17:29  
A lot.

Evan Franulovich  17:31  
Aisha, you know Aisha? 

Kadi  17:32  
Yeah, she's my friend, Aisha Osman. 

Evan Franulovich  17:35  
Well, we interviewed her and she went to Côte d'Ivoire to do her visa.

Kadi  17:38  
She ... little  sister and even I think even her dad. Yeah. And I even saw a lot of people in the Embassy did they I went from mine from to have my sister like, everybody. My country's hospitality. Everybody's welcome. You can just stop by.

Evan Franulovich  17:53  
It is very well, I was in all three of those countries, Nigeria, Ghana, Cote d'Ivoire, everywhere I went people were very kind.

Kadi  18:01  
Yeah, amazing. Africa is that. 

Evan Franulovich  18:03  
It really is. I think a lot of Americans. I mean, well, actually, let me form this in a question. So do you interact with a lot of Americans that? I mean, they're not students, you know, they're just out on the street, regular people. You talked to a lot of people out on the streets.

Kadi  18:21  
I'm sorry to say that. But i'm not social.

Evan Franulovich  18:23  
Oh, well, I'm wondering like, people must be interested when, you know, like, where are you from? And, and..

Kadi  18:30  
Yeah, I talk to people because even I'm working right now on the mud. So I meet like, a lot of people, they talk to me, they ask where I'm from, and I also talk to them and even some people still by just to say hi. 

Evan Franulovich  18:43  
Right? 

Kadi  18:43  
It's really nice to be like, I'm not so sure I can just talk to you today and even tomorrow, like it will be just Hi. And that's all.

Evan Franulovich  18:50  
A lot of them. When you tell them you're from Cote d'Ivoire, they probably like where is that? I don't know where that is.

Kadi  18:55  
Some of them. Some of them kind of have an idea of what is it and some of them say no, 

Evan Franulovich  19:02  
They have no idea. Okay. Now, a lot of people in the US don't call it Cote d'Ivoire. They call it the Ivory Coast. Is that old?

Kadi  19:11  
????? Ivory Coast. 

Evan Franulovich  19:13  
That's right. Cote d'Ivoire, Ivory Coast. Yeah. I think it used to be called Ivory Coast. 

Kadi  19:17  
Yeah, I used to because I because I, I cannot have something to say by that because, Cote's mean costs in English and ivory. Ivoire mean ivory in English, so they cannot just translate it. For other countries like Ghana, they don't have another column name, just call it Ghana or Senegal. I think it's okay. That we now want to be called Cote d'Ivoire, because this is our identity where we belong to we don't want like Ivory Coast anymore. 

Evan Franulovich  19:47  
Right, right, right. 

Kadi  19:49  
Now I'm speaking like the president.

Evan Franulovich  19:50  
I think it's great. No, call it Cote d'Ivoire. I think it's really good. And it sounds pretty.

Kadi  19:56  
Yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  19:58  
All right. Great. So you're In Seattle, you've come you've spent some time you get ready to graduate. What do you what do you do for fun? Are you involved in like clubs or things on campus? Yeah.

Kadi  20:10  
My friend, the little sister of Ayisha. She opened like a Muslim Student Association club. 

Evan Franulovich  20:16  
Oh, yeah.

Kadi  20:16  
I'm part of it...

Evan Franulovich  20:17  
Oh, cool. 

Kadi  20:18  
And also with the help of my Spanish teacher, I open also the Spanish club.

Evan Franulovich  20:24  
I didn't know there was a Spanish... it doesn't surprise me.

Kadi  20:26  
We just open it. 

Evan Franulovich  20:28  
When?

Kadi  20:29  
And I'm the president. Like, one week ago.

Evan Franulovich  20:32  
Oh, no wonder I haven't heard that. One week ago...

Kadi  20:34  
It's a new one.

Evan Franulovich  20:35  
That's really new.

Evan Franulovich  20:35  
So with the help of the teacher because the teacher is also Spanish. Anyone people like to learn about Spanish culture or Latin culture and also spend quality time with others while we try to speak in Spanish. And now we have to say that Spanish is a second language in the US. 

Kadi  20:53  
For sure. Yeah. 

Kadi  20:54  
People like speak english... 

Evan Franulovich  20:55  
So many speakers.

Evan Franulovich  20:56  
And it's also like, a diplomatic language. And me, I want to be diplomatic. So I have to learn languages.

Evan Franulovich  21:02  
It's one of the six UN languages. 

Kadi  21:04  
Yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  21:05  
Hmm. So tell me when I was at the event fair, the... is it the Muslim women Association? Or is it?...

Kadi  21:16  
No, it's different? Because another student open the Muslim women Association. That's what I thought and she had a table. Yes, she had a table and my friend open Muslim Student Association for everybody. 

Evan Franulovich  21:29  
Okay.

Kadi  21:30  
Boys and girls, they can be together but with respect in this situation. Sure. Like we can have our own part. Because in Islam, man and women don't play the same role in a woman cannot lead the prayer when there is a man in the room. The man has to be the one leading the prayer. And they can also be like Quran recitation by this interview, I just want to people just to come by to stop by and see what is like, even if you're not Muslim, you can learn about the culture try to be part of a community. 

Evan Franulovich  21:59  
Where do you meet?

Kadi  22:01  
In the ??? are also in the studentship? She's also working on it.

Evan Franulovich  22:05  
Oh, across the street. 

Kadi  22:06  
Yeah, she's working on it so that we can have like a room, like each week to have a meeting so that we can set up activities to do.

Evan Franulovich  22:13  
Is that where the prayer room is as well? 

Kadi  22:15  
No, the prayer room is here, the meditation room is here. And she's also working on it so that women can have like, a prayer room for only woman like a separate room. That's a great idea, because some women are really shy. And this is how the religion taught us. Like the religion is something pure, so women have to be in their own kernel and men also.

Evan Franulovich  22:36  
So, I know that by North Gate, there is mosque right? Have you been to the mosque? 

Kadi  22:42  
No, yet. 

Evan Franulovich  22:42  
Not yet. I've talked to you. Did you meet Sultan? He's from Saudi Arabia? 

Kadi  22:48  
No. 

Evan Franulovich  22:49  
Yeah. He was telling me about it. It sounds amazing. But check it out. 

Kadi  22:53  
Okay, I will, for sure. 

Evan Franulovich  22:57  
Okay, so let's go to getting ready to go to Seattle University. And then you talked about wanting to go on and getting your PhD? So after you're finished with your bachelor's degree at Seattle University, do you have a plan? 

Kadi  23:11  
Yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  23:11  
Where do you want to do your graduate work?

Kadi  23:14  
I want to, after graduating after having like a bachelor degree, I want to work one here as OPT. 

Evan Franulovich  23:20  
Okay. 

Kadi  23:21  
And after that, doing like my master's degree. And after the master's degree, Also work one year. And after working one year, I want to go back to my country. So that's working there. And I can have like my PhD degree online.

Evan Franulovich  23:34  
Right, right. Right. Cool. Okay, that makes sense. So are you planning to do OPT after you finish your associate's degree as well? Because that's available to students who come to community college. They can do one year of OPT after they finish their associate's or do you just plan to go straight?

Kadi  23:52  
I prefer after the bachelor degree because now I will be like an employee. And after the associate degree, I will be like kind of internship. 

Evan Franulovich  23:59  
Yeah. Okay. Make sense. 

Kadi  24:00  
There is a big difference. And I think that for what I want to do with the bachelor degree will be easier for me to find a job and also, I'll have like a better idea of what I want to learn from people and also what I want to share.

Evan Franulovich  24:15  
Right. Okay, does Cote d'Ivoire have a consulate in Seattle or any official government representation in Seattle?

Kadi  24:26  
I never check it, but I knew that they have one in Washington DC because I've been there. 

Evan Franulovich  24:30  
Sure, oh you did go?

Kadi  24:31  
I went to the White House. I saw the ????? I went to a lot of cities in the US though. 

Evan Franulovich  24:37  
Oh, yeah. Tell me.

Kadi  24:38  
I went to Washington DC. I went to Atlanta. I went to Detroit and Michigan. 

Evan Franulovich  24:44  
Wow.

Kadi  24:44  
Yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  24:44  
In a car? flying around?

Kadi  24:46  
Fly. no matter what. Oh, it's like I love flying. I love to travel.

Evan Franulovich  24:51  
Well, and we're a big country, so it's easy to see without ever leaving the country. 

Kadi  24:55  
And like with your F1 visa you can travel to all the 51... 51 states. 

Evan Franulovich  25:02  
50 states.

Kadi  25:03  
50 states is kind of good.

Evan Franulovich  25:04  
It's amazing. Yeah. 

Kadi  25:05  
Yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  25:06  
And we're only 200 kilometers. Well, it's a 200 kilometers from Canada. Yeah. Have you crossed the border yet? 

Kadi  25:13  
No. Because I need Canadian visa and the IP Office help you me with that.

Evan Franulovich  25:18  
Do you plan on doing that? Yeah. You should. It's amazing up there. Yeah. It's very pretty.

Kadi  25:24  
I want to see, I want to see a Ottawa and Vancouver. 

Evan Franulovich  25:27  
You want to see what? 

Kadi  25:28  
Ottawa.

Evan Franulovich  25:29  
Ottawa? Yeah, yeah.

Kadi  25:30  
I said it in French.

Evan Franulovich  25:32  
I know, I heard. 

Kadi  25:32  
I want to see Ottawa. 

Evan Franulovich  25:34  
Ottawa. ??? 

Kadi  25:35  
Yeah. and Quebec.

Evan Franulovich  25:37  
And Quebec... Well, I'll try not to speak too much French. I don't want to lose my listeners. Wonderful. Oh, that means it's Trivia Time. Time for five questions about Seattle Colleges in the state of Washington. It's a lot of fun. If you answer all the questions correctly, you get up on the wall of fame. If not, we won't we won't make you cry or anything. It's okay. I'll try. All right, here we go. Question number one. What does OPT stand for?

Kadi  26:11  
Optional Practical Training.

Evan Franulovich  26:15  
Awesome. Great. Now, there's also something called CPT. Do you know what CPT is?

Kadi  26:22  
I know that the piece of practical training and the "C" can be...? I don't know? It cannot be temporary. But I can just say something the CPT is not long as the OPT.

Evan Franulovich  26:35  
True. 

Kadi  26:35  
The CPT is like for three months. And is also working out our credits.

Evan Franulovich  26:41  
Good. Okay. We're gonna give it to you. It's called Curricular Practical Training. There's like four different pieces of criteria to do it. But yeah, has to be associated with earning credit for your towards your degree. Do you know how many months you must be a student prior to being able to do it? How long?

Kadi  27:01  
Okay, me here like nine months?

Evan Franulovich  27:02  
Nine months? Yeah, very good. All right, great. Let's ask a tougher question. So what is the headquarters for the African Union? Where is the African Union headquartered? 

Kadi  27:21  
In here? 

Evan Franulovich  27:22  
No, no it in Africa? Where in Africa? Is the African Union headquartered?

Kadi  27:28  
Is it ???...

Evan Franulovich  27:30  
I think it's in Ethiopia?

Kadi  27:33  
No. Like, there is an organization called ??? when all the presidents of head of governments gather together so that they can decide for Africa. 

Evan Franulovich  27:44  
Right.

Kadi  27:45  
And each time they used to change like the leader. And like, in the past, the previous leader was my country president. So I'm asking if like it is said out if yes, I will find what is it? 

Evan Franulovich  27:57  
No. what city is it located in, where? Like, for example, the European Union is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. I was wondering what were the equivalent is headquartered, which city in Africa? I don't know. I think it's in Addis Ababa, but I'm not sure. 

Kadi  28:15  
Oh, in Ethiopia. Yeah, Addis Ababa.

Evan Franulovich  28:17  
Yeah, Okay. Because if you're going to be the president, that seems like something you need to know.

Kadi  28:21  
I'm kind of working towards. 

Evan Franulovich  28:22  
Cool. 

Kadi  28:23  
I want to learn. 

Evan Franulovich  28:24  
Nice. All right. Well, the final question is really easy. What was the last movie you saw in the theaters?

Kadi  28:31  
In theater? Well, I just sold the last Marvel.

Evan Franulovich  28:34  
Oh, the one with the two women. 

Kadi  28:37  
The three women.

Evan Franulovich  28:38  
Three women. Yeah, yeah.

Kadi  28:39  
Captain Marvel. And the Indian girl and the black girl. 

Evan Franulovich  28:43  
Yeah, yeah.

Kadi  28:44  
It was really wholesome. 

Evan Franulovich  28:45  
Was it? 

Kadi  28:45  
Yeah. I had it like on 3D with glasses. It was really? Okay. I love it. 

Kadi  28:51  
But I haven't heard good reviews. Like, people...

Kadi  28:55  
Me, I love it, because they kind of got all the diversity in the movie. 

Evan Franulovich  28:59  
Yeah. 

Kadi  28:59  
And even when they were something bad happening, the guy was saying ??? That is something big for us. And even, you know, even me before starting this interview, had to say Bismillah. That mean's God will be with me. And the women in the movie before starting a fight. She said Bismillah. 

Evan Franulovich  29:18  
That's so cool. 

Kadi  29:19  
I love it. 

Kadi  29:19  
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Kadi  29:20  
And like the opinion can be different. I love it. You should check it.

Evan Franulovich  29:26  
I will give it a chance. 

Kadi  29:27  
Yeah. 

Evan Franulovich  29:27  
All right. Sounds good. I'm not usually a big Marvel fan. But that's a check that out.

Kadi  29:32  
I don't like, I don't like it. I love like comedy movies, because they always make me laugh. 

Evan Franulovich  29:37  
Right? 

Kadi  29:38  
Because life is already...

Evan Franulovich  29:39  
It's already hard. That's correct. 

Kadi  29:41  
Why watch a violence movie? 

Evan Franulovich  29:42  
Sure, sure. All right, well, one of the last.. Well, actually, let me ask you one more question. Because when I was in... when I was in East Africa, some of the students were concerned about safety or about racism in the United States. What's been your experience since you've been here.

Kadi  30:03  
You know, even in Africa there is racism. There is racism everywhere in the world, just be careful. Be careful. Try to try to learn to know your friends. Because if you are going to spend time with them, you should have like the feeling to trust them. I know that with them are like, I will be like in good and nothing will happen to me. Only if God wants. And for me, people didn't talk to me directly to say something but really, something happened to me. When I was going for my social security card, what we need to work here in the US as like an international, and even like domestic needed I think. A man like a white men. I'm sorry to see that. White men like it was in a suit. And I was coming. I was entering, I was walking. And the guy said that you should be a murderer but you're black. 

Evan Franulovich  31:01  
What???

Kadi  31:03  
In front of everybody. There were security. Security Agent. No one, no one said anything. 

Evan Franulovich  31:08  
Well...

Kadi  31:09  
I even didn't say anything either. Because I don't mind. By the way. He already say I should be ????? I'm beautiful and I'm God made. So everything that God made is okay. And I'm African. I'm proud to be it. So it's okay.

Evan Franulovich  31:23  
Well, I'm sorry, that happened.

Kadi  31:25  
I was okay. I just said it now.

Evan Franulovich  31:27  
I like to ask these questions, even though they're hard answers sometimes to hear because I want people who are thinking about coming to the United States to be fully prepared for whatever they might run into. That is unfair to your the first student I've talked to that's had kind of an experience like that. Yeah, it's all over the world. It's true.

Kadi  31:47  
It's okay. Racism is all over the world. even sometimes in your own family. 

Evan Franulovich  31:51  
Well, okay. 

Kadi  31:52  
So nothing is nothing. Just be careful. Don't reply.

Evan Franulovich  31:58  
Of course, don't engage. Yeah. All right. Well, sorry, that happened. We're glad you have such a great attitude about it. Can you tell me? Well, the last thing I usually ask is, can you tell me and the people that are listening, especially kids back in your region, that are thinking about coming to the United States? They're thinking about coming, maybe to Seattle Colleges, and they are a little nervous? What kind of advice would you give them?

Kadi  32:27  
I'll just say. No pain, no gain. 

Evan Franulovich  32:30  
Yeah.

Kadi  32:31  
And I want to see this one in French for them. 

Evan Franulovich  32:33  
Okay. 

Kadi  32:38  
(Kadi Speaking in French)... Be proud of you, who you want to be. Work, because without no work, there is no succeed. If you didn't try, you never know. 

Evan Franulovich  32:59  
Right, right.

Kadi  33:00  
So you should give it a try. And even if you try and you don't like it, you can just go back there is no problem with it. 

Evan Franulovich  33:06  
That's true. 

Kadi  33:06  
Just try. Don't be afraid. Here is good. We have burger for free. Sometimes pigs are for free, candy for free, chocolate for free, everything. Just come in and try. Check it out.

Evan Franulovich  33:19  
Now, some students I talked to back in Cote d'Ivoire, and Ghana, you know, they were concerned about the price tag, you know, coming to the United States is an expensive thing to do. And Seattle is an expensive city. What kinds of financial help other than you said you work over at the Mitchell activity center. But have you applied for any scholarships since you've been here? 

Kadi  33:41  
Nope. 

Evan Franulovich  33:42  
You didn't apply for the foundation scholarship.

Kadi  33:44  
I didn't apply for scholarship, because it's kind of hard for international students to have it. Even if in here in Seattle, it's easy, but you have to work on it. And each time I wanted to do it like it was one day prior to the deadline so I cant. But they do have a scholarship here. And the tuition fees is kind of okay. Compared to others... 

Evan Franulovich  34:06  
Oh, it's much more affordable. 

Kadi  34:07  
Yeah, it's much more affordable compared to other university. And it's okay, though, I think. And they have dorms for, even for everybody. For like the younger under 18. Or even more than that. 

Kadi  34:21  
For International students. 

Evan Franulovich  34:22  
Yeah, for international students. It's affordable.

Evan Franulovich  34:24  
Yeah, it's right across the street. Super convenient. 

Evan Franulovich  34:27  
And if you want, if you have like a great GPA, you can have scholarship, for sure.

Evan Franulovich  34:32  
Yeah. So apply for the foundation's scholarship. It's offered twice a year, in the fall, and in the spring and our student workers, all of them applied and all of them received that scholarship. So I think it's between one and $5,000. So it's a really great way to help pay for things. It doesn't cover everything, but it does help. 

Kadi  34:52  
Oh, it really does help. 

Evan Franulovich  34:54  
Well, you've already spoke... Usually I asked if you want to say something in your own language, but you just spoke in French which is great. But I know you speak other languages, could you maybe say some words to the people back home in your own dialect that you speak?

Kadi  35:09  
I speak Bumrah 

Evan Franulovich  35:10  
Okay, cool. 

Kadi  35:10  
Bumrah Is a language that is spoken like in Senegal, Mali, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire. Like some parts of Africa... 

Evan Franulovich  35:21  
Okay.

Kadi  35:21  
They speak it.

Evan Franulovich  35:23  
Never heard this language, so i'm excited.

Kadi  35:25  
What can I say what? (Kadi speaking Bumrah)

Kadi  35:42  
It sounds a lot. There's a lot of French mixed in there. 

Kadi  35:56  
Yeah. French and, and yeah, like because to say because this past year in French, and we don't have it like in Bumrah, even if they don't have it. I'm not like big speaker of it. Because my family's speak also French because of my little sister and brother. So they can have like the aptitude to speak in school. So they will it will be easy for them because not only speaking a language like in school and outside the school or in the living area you just speak is nothing.

Evan Franulovich  36:29  
Well, that is going to be the last bit of information that we have today. So great to meet you. So great to talk to you. I'm looking forward to your inauguration.

Kadi  36:39  
Inshallah.

Evan Franulovich  36:39  
I'll be flying to Cote d'Ivoire for that. That'll be amazing. 

Kadi  36:43  
Inshallah.

Evan Franulovich  36:44  
Yeah, inshallah. 

Kadi  36:45  
Thank you. 

Evan Franulovich  36:46  
Well have a great holiday season. 

Kadi  36:49  
Thank you. Bye bye!

Evan Franulovich  36:52  
Thanks so much! Bye bye!

Evan Franulovich  36:55  
'Conversations with!' is painstakingly crafted for you by the Seattle Colleges International Programs department and supported by the lovely folks here on our campus. This show is produced and edited by me Evan Franulovich. We welcome your emails and questions about coming to Seattle Colleges. Please reach out to us via our website or just give us a rating and a review on Apple podcasts as this helps others discover the show. Also, don't forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok or YouTube at Seattle Colleges Intl, that's Seattle Colleges Intl. And be sure to check out all of the shows here on 'Conversations with!' Thanks for listening, and we'll see you next week.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai