Turkish Student Finds Industrial Niche

Story Posted: Fri, Dec 21, 2007

By Sara Dier

Duygu Turhan

"Coming to the U.S. after graduating  from high school in Turkey was a nice change for me, even though I didn't know any English," says OSU industrial engineering student, Duygu Turhan, who came to Oregon four years ago from Iskenderun, a city in the southern region of Turkey.

Turhan arrived in Oregon to live with her brother in Ashland and apply for college. "I stayed with my brother so he could take care of me," she says with a smile. "But, he soon found me a host family to help teach me English."

Initially, Turhan wanted to be a dentist, but the thought of how many years she would have to spend in school overwhelmed her. "If I had stayed in Turkey, I think I would have been a dentist," she says. "But, it's a different system here. It's okay though, because biology was miserable."

Instead of a career in medicine, Turhan quickly found an affinity for engineering. "My dad is a mechanical engineer in Turkey," she says, adding that her father's career had no relation to her decision. "Industrial engineering sounded appealing to me because I always thought I was good at math and technical abilities," she explains. "It also tends to lean toward more interaction with people, rather than working with machines. I feel like there are a wide variety of things in this field for me to do."

With a determination to work in industrial engineering, Turhan moved three hours north of Ashland to Corvallis and OSU.

Although Turhan was enthusiastic about attending OSU, leaving her brother was a challenge. "It was like being a freshman all over again," she says. "Academics weren't as much of a challenge for me as fitting in was."

To feel more involved, she began working at a local coffee shop. "Everyone is so excited about learning about Turkey, and that was strange to me," she says.

Wanting to be more active and engaged on campus, she became the finance director for ISOSU, International Students at Oregon State University, and helped students organize cultural events.

Eventually, she started working for the International Cultural Service Program, which provides scholarships to international students who serve as cultural ambassadors in the community. That scholarship helps her pay for tuition. "It was a nice change for me," she says. "I enjoy providing cultural experience to the community." This worked nicely with her schedule when I was accepted into pro-school at the College of Engineering.

Currently, Turhan looks forward to graduating. "I'm thinking about going to graduate school," she says. She is looking for a graduate fellowship, as well as future employment. "I hope I can work somewhere warm, like California. I like Oregon, but I hate the rain!" she says.

For now, she is content finishing her industrial engineering degree and enjoying the feeling of a quickly approaching graduation. "Who knows?" she says, "I'm open."