Summer — 2009

Ali Hosseini

Engineering/Music

“I was a little bit nervous when I had to get up in front of my classmates, but I had a breakthrough. And for the final, I just stood up and sang. No nerves at all!”

Ali Hosseini, born in Iran, believes there’s a profound correlation between science and music. I absolutely love music! And with the piano—where you’re using both of your hands—you’re actually training both sides of your brain. So since I have to deal with a lot of equations, physics, and chemistry, my music helps me in a conditioning sort of way.” It’s Ali’s professed plan to go into civil engineering. “Yeah, I want to go to work somewhere and build high-rises, freeways, all the big projects. I want to be the guy that they send out there and tell, ‘Just go out and get the whole job done!’ ”

Ali had been going to another local community college, and his move to SMC caused more than a few jitters. “I knew that this college has a great reputation, and that it’s tough! So I was a little worried at first. But so far, I’m getting all A’s, and I’m feeling that this college is awesome. And there are so many Iranian people here. I think that Americans need to know that we are a very kind people, and that we have incredible hospitality. And I’d like to think that—in the future—Iran and America can somehow become good partners.”

MIT, Caltech, UCLA. All are beckoning Ali to come and explore what the building projects of the future might look like. But for now, Ali reports that SMC has become a near perfect ‘fit’ for him. “People coming from my country almost always go to SMC, because there’s so much support for them here. A lot of people that work for the College are Iranian and speak Farsi, and when you have some sort of problem, you can just go to them. They will help you out in every way.”

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