What moved Hana Habib to swap her plans to study medicine in Germany to instead become a biomedical engineering major at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio? She was all set to become a doctor but the turning point came when she could no longer ignore her grandfather’s struggles with his prosthetic leg. Instead of treating individual patients, Habib dreamed bigger. She wanted to design the next generation of medical devices that could restore mobility and dignity to amputees like him.
As Wright State was one of the few universities offering a dedicated biomedical engineering program, Habib knew this was where she needed to be and wasted no time. “I applied to the biomedical engineering program and also for a scholarship after learning about the You Are Welcome Here scholarships for international students,” said Habib.
On May 3, 2022, Habib received her offer letter from Wright State. By the next morning, less than 24 hours later, her decision was made. A thrilled Habib was ready to join one of the top 7% of universities worldwide (2026 Center for World University Rankings Global 2000 list).
Wright State helped ease Habib’s transition to university life in the US. Before she even arrived, she knew where she would be living and what she would be studying. Source: Wright State University
Finding her place far from home
Sitting thousands of miles away in Cairo, scrolling through university webpages, Habib faced the questions every international student asks: Will I be welcomed? Who can I turn to for help and support? Will there be opportunities for me?
Wright State provided answers before she even packed her bags. Staff at the international education center responded to every email with patience and speed. And while her first days in Dayton included some homesickness, that did not last long.
Habib was quickly welcomed into campus life. In short order, she went from new student to leading Engineers Without Borders, serving as a President’s Ambassador, and managing finances for the Biomedical Engineering Society.
As a scholarship recipient, Habib could focus 100% on her studies and on making the most of organizations on campus. Other international students can find similar opportunities, including a scholarship for Southeast Asian students.
Wright State’s Student Success Center is your go-to for academic help, including writing support, academic advising, and tutoring. Source: Wright State University
Ready for what’s next
Once you’ve settled into university life, it’s natural to start looking further ahead. What kind of work do you want to do? And how do you get your foot in the door? For international students especially, navigating the US job market can be confusing.
Wright State’s Career Hub makes this next step more manageable. You can use Handshake to find experiential learning opportunities to develop skills for the workplace and build your professional network at virtual and in-person career fairs, workshops, presentations, and employer-hosted events organized throughout the year. Eligible international students can also get guidance on Curricular Practical Training (CPT), which may allow them to gain work experience related to their program.
Habib worked with a career consultant to figure out what did and didn’t belong on her resume. “That helped me establish a base format, and I still use that same format today,” she says.
She applied to around 30 research programs nationwide, and her efforts paid off with a place in the highly competitive Summer Program for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. There, she worked with amputees and published research on changes in spinal cord excitability. Today, she’s building on that experience back at Wright State, where she studies amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and how motor neurons change as the disease progresses.
With graduation approaching in Spring 2027 Habib is completing applications to doctoral programs. Ultimately, she hopes to become a professor and establish her own research lab dedicated to studying the nervous system.
To international students wondering how to turn their time at Wright State into a life-changing, career-launching chapter, she offers two pieces of advice: ask questions early and say yes to the many opportunities that’ll come your way.
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