1. Home
Faisal Altwaim

Far from home

Faisal Altwaim, a surveying engineering student at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, is separated from his family and home in Saudi Arabia by more than 6,000 miles. He has found the campus community “extremely helpful” and “like family.” “At a smaller campus like Penn State Wilkes-Barre, you are treated more on an individual level. They truly care about your learning and overall academic experience,” he said.
By: Goldie Van Horn
Student from Saudi Arabia learning surveying engineering at campus

Faisal Altwaim, a surveying engineering student at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, is separated from his family and home in Saudi Arabia by more than 6,000 miles.

A second-year student in the surveying engineering program, he applied for the highly selective Saudi Aramco college degree program (CDP) in his home country. The CDP is sponsored by Aramco, a large chemical and energy company in Saudi Arabia. Saudi high school graduates with the required grades and test scores who are selected, like Altwaim, are then sponsored to study for their bachelor’s degree in a field sought by Saudi Aramco and offered jobs with the company after completing their degree.

“The program is very popular among students in Saudi Arabia,” Altwaim explained. “Around 25,000 students apply to it and the acceptance rate is about 1.5 percent.”

Altwaim wanted to study in another country for exposure to a broader world, saying, “I wanted a different experience. I spent 19 years in Saudi Arabia, and the only window I have to experience life in a different country is this four-year window for my undergraduate degree.”

Growing up, he always knew he wanted to study engineering, especially because his father and brothers are engineers. After he was accepted to Saudi Aramco’s CDP, program leaders assigned his major, and Altwaim is enjoying learning more about surveying engineering at Penn State Wilkes-Barre. He is also a member of the Surveying Society on campus.

“I honestly loved surveying more when I started to take the classes here,” he said. “What I love about it the most is how we go outside and do some actual field work. I also love the faculty. They are helpful to students and my classmates have also been extremely helpful.”

His first year of studies was entirely virtual from Saudi Arabia due to COVID-19, and he was excited to arrive on campus for the start of the fall 2021 semester.

“I didn’t feel like I went that far from home because everyone here treats you like family,” Altwaim said. “Everyone is helpful, not only in academics but also in the Student Affairs offices. I have never experienced homesickness since I came here.”

“At a smaller campus like Penn State Wilkes-Barre, you are treated more on an individual level. They truly care about your learning and overall academic experience,” he continued.

One of the faculty members he works closely with is Dimitrios Bolkas, associate professor of surveying engineering.

“I really respect him and I admire his passion for the surveying profession,” Altwaim said.

Bolkas said, “We are privileged that Faisal selected the Penn State Wilkes-Barre surveying engineering program. Getting a Penn State degree means that he is getting the best education in surveying engineering. Faisal is very intelligent and has a bright future ahead for him, and I am sure he will leave his mark in the surveying world when he goes back to Saudi Arabia.”

Altwaim was named to the dean’s list for the fall 2021 semester at Penn State Wilkes-Barre. Upon returning to his home country, he hopes to work with Saudi Vision 2030, an initiative that seeks to reduce Saudi Arabia’s dependence on oil, diversify its economy and develop public service sectors. He may return to the United States one day for his master’s degree.

“After I graduate from Penn State Wilkes-Barre, I hope to help develop certain fields in my home country,” he said. “Saudi Vision 2030 plans to develop a lot of things, including advanced cities and some national parks. They are going to need a lot of support in the surveying field before they start making all these projects. I hope to contribute to that cause.”