Rahil finds success at Truman

Rahil Gomes, a freshman majoring in Visual Communications at Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri, is having an eventful and exciting first year studying abroad.

Since his arrival in the fall of 2012, Gomes has been busy with full course loads of 14 to 15 credit hours each semester. He has met success in all of his academic ventures. “At the moment I’m doing the foundation courses, drawing and design classes,” Gomes said. “My teachers are all good and my grades have all been high. I really enjoy the work.”

Gomes said his education at Truman has reinforced what he learned from previous experiences in his field of study, such as his internship at an advertising company in Indonesia. “Everything I learned [in Indonesia], I can relate to what I’m learning here,” he said.  

Academic obligations have not been the only thing on Gomes’s schedule. He has also integrated seamlessly into the Truman community. Gomes is close friends with all of the students who live in his residence hall. He is also a part of Truman’s Sri Lankan Students Association, a group that unites Sri Lankan students and organises cultural events for the campus, such as the Sri Lankan New Year celebration. In addition to his social and school life, Gomes has been spending his vacations traveling to other places in the country and getting a taste of American culture in its bigger cities. During winter vacation, he went to Chicago, Illinois with his roommate and two other international students. “When I went [to Chicago], it was Christmastime,” Gomes said. “It was all lit up and very pretty.” Gomes’s overall time spent at Truman State University and the United States has been positive, he said. “I am glad I came to Truman,” Gomes said. “It’s a whole new experience.” Truman State University is a public university in Northeast Missouri. It is ranked 19th out of 100 schools on Kiplinger’s List of Best Values in Public Colleges, and is known throughout the U.S. for providing the highest quality public education available in the state of Missouri.