For Hassan Farooq and Dr. Shu Feng, returning to TROY for Homecoming wasn’t just about tailgating or football. It meant coming back to their first home away from home—the place where they met, fell in love, built lifelong friendships and laid the groundwork for the rest of their lives.

Hassan arrived in Troy fresh out of high school from Pakistan in August 2000. When looking for universities, he and his family wanted to see him somewhere affordable, but reputable, and found that in TROY.

“When we looked through the list, TROY stood out as somewhere that had good campus life and a good ratio of students graduating,” he said. “The International office was really responsive and helpful in guiding us through that process. I had phenomenal teachers and advisors along the way. I loved the southern hospitality—everyone was nice and welcoming.”

Hassan lived in Pace Hall for a few weeks before moving off campus to WoodDale Apartments. During his sophomore year he also started his first ever job, a dishwasher in the Trojan Center before working his way up to becoming student manager.

“Right from the get-go I had a very positive experience,” he said. “I didn’t really feel homesick or anything like that; I fit right in. There was always some type of campus event or activity going on. After attending all the classes in the morning, I would still go back in the evenings to be part of campus life and activities.”

Hassan graduated in 2004 with a double bachelor’s degree in mathematics and computer science. He returned to TROY from 2005-2007 to pursue his master’s degree in information systems and came back one last time in 2008 for additional courses in human resource management and accounting. 

While being at TROY gave him the chance to apply what he was learning and share it with others, Hassan said the location also affords the opportunity to travel and experience more of American culture—though it’s all a balancing act for international students ultimately aiming to get their degrees.

“The main purpose for international students is to study. Parents are taking out their life savings to send their children to the United States for college, so they need to be able to focus and get their degree done right,” he said. “TROY has the ideal balance of good campus life and a focus on studies that keeps students engaged, but if you want to travel there’s the Florida beaches, Atlanta, New Orleans, the Disney resorts… travel is accessible from here during their breaks.”

Feng arrived seven years after Farooq in August 2007 as part of the second group of 3+1 students, a partnership between the United States and Chinese departments of education where Chinese students would complete part of their graduate coursework at American universities. 

“TROY’s welcoming campus culture was exceptional,” she said. “From my professors to the staff members that I worked with, they had profound knowledge and awareness towards helping and supporting international students. They created an environment that made us feel like we could build a new home here, even though we were far away from home.”

Feng graduated in December 2009 with a master’s degree in post-secondary education with a concentration in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. During her time at TROY, she said she prospered from not only the education she received from the English and education departments, but also from the relationships she formed with her instructors, particularly Dr. Theresa Johnson.

“Dr. Theresa Johnson is very good at engaging students both in and outside of the classroom,” she said. “Her approach, both her teaching pedagogy and the way she mentored me and other students, made it easier to adjust to the educational environment in the U.S.”

Feng and Johnson’s mentorship eventually expanded beyond the classroom. The pair would meet on Fridays in the bookstore’s coffee shop for conversation and advice, and in 2008 Feng was one of a group of international students Johnson invited to her home to decorate for Christmas.

“That was the first time I entered an American home and celebrated Christmas. It made me realize that our professors truly care about the wellbeing of the students. They are not just educators who teach; they are also cultural ambassadors who inspire and change lives,” Feng said. “When I look back and reflect on my experience at TROY, I will always recall the moments I felt welcomed and cared for, and we haven’t found that family feeling at any other institution to that level.”

Nicknamed her “American Mom,” Johnson and her husband, Buddy, have stayed close to the couple over the last 17 years, traveling to China together, inviting them to their first American wedding and sending gifts on special occasions—and reuniting for Homecoming. 

“We don’t get to talk every Friday over coffee anymore, but we talk about once a month for an hour about what’s going on in their lives,” Johnson said. “It’s just like a mom-daughter relationship, and it’s the same with Hassan. He admires Buddy and asks for his advice. I really feel like Hassan and Shu are two of the best representatives of Troy University, and of small miracles.”

“They’ve really loved us as their own,” Feng added. “They’ve become our role models, and that’s what makes TROY a unique place in our heart. We have always considered it home because of them.”

Feng and her experience at TROY, and the experience of so many other Chinese international students, inspired Johnson’s doctoral dissertation.

“I asked her to read it, so they came and spent the weekend for her to read my dissertation and give her insight,” she said. “She would always say, ‘Yes Mom! This is right! How did you know?’ and I kept telling her, ‘It’s because of you!’”

The TROY impact

Of her time at TROY, Feng said two things stood out as exceptional to her—the relationships and the academics—and commended her professors for creating a safe and welcoming environment for both American and international students.

“American students and international students were able to learn, and learn from each other,” she said. “I came to class thinking that I wasn’t equipped enough to learn due to language and cultural barriers, but my professors found a way to make me see my obstacles as opportunities. They helped me see where my skills shone, and that was very impactful for me as a student and grew my confidence.”

Both Feng and Hassan took advantage of opportunities to practice their knowledge. While Hassan served as a math tutor and grad assistant, Feng was able to work with the Troy City Schools Board of Education as an ESL (English as a Second Language) instructor and tutor.

“TROY really cares about the development and growth of their students, and they provide opportunities that prepare students for the real world through various program,” she said. “That experience shaped my future career path, and this is one of the best things TROY does:  showing students that the transferrable skills learned in the classroom have real world values. That’s where true confidence grows.”

Outside of the classroom, TROY had a major impact on both of their personal lives. Feng and Hassan first met in 2008 as student workers in the Trojan Center. Their relationship began as colleagues, then transformed into a friendship. As a student manager, Hassan regularly encouraged the international students working together to host potlucks where students would bring dishes from their home countries to share. Feng credits these interactions with allowing their relationship to flourish.

They graduated in 2009 and parted ways with Feng traveling back to China to teach. They stayed connected despite the miles apart until Feng decided to return to the United States.

“Our relationship grew during those years, and I decided to come back to the United States for us to be together and continue to my education, because my ultimate goal was to teach at a university,” she said.

Feng returned to TROY and took one semester of psychology classes while waiting for her Ph.D. program at the University of Texas at Dallas to begin. The couple got engaged during this time, and after their marriage in July 2011 Feng transferred to UT Dallas and they moved to Texas. 

Today, they still reside in Texas. Hassan is a Senior Technology Manager at Bank of America, and Feng is an Assistant Teaching Professor in the English department at Southern Methodist University. They also have a son, Haris.

“Their story is the epitome of a TROY love story—I mean where else in the world could two people from China and Pakistan meet, fall in love and then adopt an American mom and dad to make their family here complete?” Johnson said. “They’re very special to me. We’ve kept in touch all these years and we intend to keep doing so.”

Advice to new international students

Both Hassan and Feng said the key to thriving as an international student is staying open—to new people, new ideas and the faculty members who want to see them succeed. 

“You’re leaving your comfort zone, but if you meet students from your own country there’s the temptation to fall back into that comfort zone. It’s good to have those connections, but you came here to experience a new culture and customs,” he said. “Be engaged with on campus activities and the programs the International Programs Department offers and make connections outside of your comfort zone. Never forget your primary goal is to study, and other activities are there as a support.”

“Sometimes you just have to take a brave first step to share your struggles and difficulties,” Feng added. “Believe the professors have your best interest in mind. I was very hesitant to reach out to my professors at first, but I later learned that vulnerability can be the first step to build trust. Be brave, trust the process and lean on your support system.”

For Hassan and Feng, TROY is more than the place they earned their degrees. It’s where they found mentors who shaped them and a relationship that carried them across years and continents. Coming back for Homecoming reaffirmed what they’ve felt for years: TROY is and will always be home.