Meet ACES Alumni

Rono Hem ’19

Rono Hem was born in Bangladesh, where he attended St. Joseph’s higher secondary school in Dhaka. After coming to America in 2015 to pursue a degree in biology, he joined the ACES program to ease the transition as an international student.

“At the very beginning of the semester, I was struggling to finish the assigned novels from cover to cover in due time. I now feel significantly more confident in both my reading and writing skills,” he said.

Rono attributes much of his academic growth to ACES professors. “ACES professors are some of the most caring and involved educators I’ve had to date. My professors have provided me with detailed, constructive feedback and were more than happy to talk over questions at any convenient time for me.”

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Ekram Alrowmeim ’19

Ekram Alrowmeim, who moved to the United States in June 2012 from Yemen, built new confidence in the ACES program at St. Joseph's University.

“Speaking a foreign language can be really intimidating. It’s hard to make yourself speak when you don’t feel confident. The ACES program gave me the confidence not just to speak English, but also to develop my reading and writing skills,” she said.

As an ACES student, Ekram has met culturally diverse students, like herself, coping with the same problems with English. “I feel very lucky because I am having the experience of a lifetime, learning alongside students from every corner of the globe.”

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Adnan Hoq ’19

Adnan Hoq came to the United States as a freshman to study mathematics and computer science at St. Joseph’s. He said the ACES program has spearheaded his success in college.

“ACES has instilled essential management, interpersonal and leadership skills in me, which in turn helped me become successful in this highly competitive modern day and age,” he said.

Adnan explained that the ACES program made him feel at home.

“ACES was my first refuge as an international student in this foreign country, and played a pivotal role in making the acclimation process ever so smooth.”