TandemPlus Student Association’s Harith Al-Maskari Graduates!
Longtime TandemPlus participant, Student Association officer, and all around go-getter Harith Al-Maskari is set to graduate this spring. The TandemPlus program has known Harith’s friendship for many years and while we will miss him, we celebrate his contributions and congratulate him with our best wishes for his successful future. Reflecting on the road that got him here, he had this to say:
It was September 11th, 2015, the day Harith Al-Maskari received his UMN acceptance letter to follow his dream and pursue his education in this country. The road was not easy for Harith at the start, as the day he arrived in the United States was Tuesday, December 24th (Christmas Eve!). No friends, a different culture, and a totally different language. “You wake up in the night with a fear so real, spend your life waiting for a moment that just don't come. Well don't waste your time waiting,” these Bruce Springsteen words summarize what Harith and other international students go through while attending college in the U.S. Harith decided to stop wasting his time waiting, and he made a list of all resources at the university that could help him face his challenges. The TandemPlus program was one of the resources. Harith has been part of the Tandem Plus program since August 2016 to improve his English language and learn a third language, Spanish. He has also been a student officer with the TandemPlus Student Association board since August 2019.
Harith will be graduating with an Electrical Engineering B.S. this May. Harith has also been an operator for UMN-UNITE, a member of IEEE-HKN and the IBP program, an international student greeter for Boynton Health, a volunteer with UMN-STLF, and President of OMSU (Omani Student Union).
This time Harith is as ready as he'll ever be to tackle the next chapter in his life after graduation. He will finally be able to get out into the professional world and put his skills to good use. He plans on volunteering at different organizations and companies, interning, and working at his dream company. While his eyes are set on his future, his heart will always be maroon and gold.
