His name is Driss Assis; he is 34 and he is an alien. No, he is not from another planet; he is from Morocco. At this time, he is studying computer science at IVCC.

Assis left his country more than ten years ago and, since that time, he has lived in Spain, France, and United States. He speaks four languages (Arabic, French, Spanish and English); he is confident, open minded, curious and determined. As he said, "You have to know what is around you".

He came to this country in June 1997 with one goal in mind: to learn English.

"When I came to the United States, I discovered a whole new way of thinking about everything which I completely admire and that is why I love this country," he said.

His first destination was Minnesota where he had some friends. Later he went to Boston and finally he came to Streator. An invitation from the woman that became his wife brought him there.

He said he likes this area because "it’s cheap and quiet." And although he has always lived in hot climates, he admits, "I needed to experience cold climate."

With a smile on his face Assis confesses that one thing he doesn't like here is the food.

"I hate fast food. In Morocco we eat a lot of fish and vegetables."

Once he married, he started taking English as a Second Language classes at Streator High School.

"The beginning was hard because I’ve never had any experience writing English or reading English," he said.

After learning some English, he began taking classes at IVCC. His previous contact with college had been several years ago in his native country where he studied business and literature.

"College in Morocco is very hard," he said. "That does not mean it is better, but they have really high standards. Not everybody has a chance to get to college because it is very tough. Classes are big, over a hundred students in each class."

About his experiences at IVCC, Assis says: "I am just very happy with everything. I like the personal attention and I like the way people try to help you."

Saying he feels like part of IVCC he explained that "you know your classmates because classes are small; that’s what is good about this college."

Assis' expectations are high. Once he finishes his degree at IVCC, he plans to find a job. He is also considering transfer to the University of Illinois in Champaign, and he hopes one day to have his own computer business.

His closing words? Using his native language he said, "Shukran jazilian."

This means thank you very much.