Computer Vision News - April 2018

28 That is very different from most of the students around you. As an Iranian, my situation is a very different one. I wanted to go home this past summer, but then there was a travel ban. I didn’t get a chance to go home. I didn’t even apply for an internship because I thought I was going home. I wanted to go home, but I couldn’t go home. The thing is when you go home, we don’t have a US Embassy in Iran. You have to wait three or four months. The first time that I applied, it took four months. You have to risk going home and not getting back on time. You could miss class, homework and everything. Even when I came to the US for the first time, I arrived late. I had to drop all of my courses. In the US, there is homework every week which means if you lose some work, you lose a big part of your grade. What we learn in Iran is not very good in terms of English. It is not easy to go between both countries and make sure that you will make it back. My father really loves me to be here and continue my studies. He is really happy. I cannot tell you how much he loves the US and me being in the US. He would do anything for me just to stay in the US. How much does academia support you in your special situation? My advisor Margrit Betke knows about my situation and is very understanding. How could your fellow students make your life easier? Many people around me are 21 or 22. There is a tremendous age gap between us. I can understand that with such an age difference, it’s very hard to make friends. So I don’t expect anything from them. I’d like to have a US Embassy in Iran. I want a multiple entry visa because my visa is single entrance. If I go, I have to apply for a whole new visa. My friends can go home for a few days and come back. If I go home, it would take four months just to get a visa. Other than that, I don’t know what I could expect from people. This is a great opportunity to share with everyone what you experience as a student from Iran. I will tell you about that, but you should adapt the words, since English is not my first language. It isn’t mine either! But you know how to write! At least, yes... [ laughs ] Some people might be surprised when I tell them that I have three masters. You could just get a PhD. Actually, I have three Master’s and that wasn’t by choice. I had a rough path to get to this point. I had a very, very rough path. Not everyone gets the same, easy set goal to get to their PhD. I could have been one of those students who do a PhD at the age of 21. It wasn’t like that for me. Mona Jalal Women in Science Computer Vision News