behind the
MASK
CHADI RACHID The emergence of the coronavirus has caused a number of unprecedented changes in all of our lives, but there are some who have gone through more than others. Chadi Rachid, a first-year honors student at the University of Florida, is a perfect example of this. An international student from Morocco, Chadi first became interested in pursuing his college education at the University of Florida due to their competitive engineering program, the wide-ranging opportunities they offer and a desire to study within the US. Like any other, he was excited to begin his college experience while enjoying the last few months of high school to their most. Once the pandemic swept the world, however, Morocco closed its borders. The problem? Chadi was in Armenia during an international study internship. As a result, he ended up getting stranded in Armenia— without a way to get back home—for three months. This forced him to adapt. “I lived with some friends in the same situation in a guest house until we could go back home,” Chadi said. “I had to learn how to cook, how to manage a budget, how to manage and store food efficiently—all of this in a country where I don’t speak the language.” Finally, he was able to return home and eventually make the journey to America. He described the process as extremely long and
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Fall 2020
tiring, but once he got here he gained all his energy back. “Rabat to Casablanca to New York to Atlanta to Gainesville. Although it took two layovers and 30 hours to get here, it was worth it!” While the food and social culture are very different than in Morocco, he thinks it’s only a matter of time before he fully adapts to his new life. Despite his excitement to be a part of UF, Chadi says it is still frustrating that he doesn’t know when he will be able to see his family again. On top of that, it is a lot of pressure. “My family has sacrificed enough so that I can study here. It is up to me if it was in vain or not.” Chadi is majoring in mechanical engineering and is passionate about robotics, philosophy, and linguistics. “So far I love my new life. I somehow managed to meet people, get involved on campus and catch up with classes. It is challenging but I hope I’ll be able to keep up.”
