By Ian Wesselhoff 

G eorgia College & State University exchange student Ayomide Rahman set foot on American soil for the first time in August. Just six months later, she is working at the Georgia State Capitol. 

Born and raised in London, England, Rahman is spending her second and final semester in Georgia interning as a senate aide to State Senators Kim Jackson, Sonya Halpern and Josh McLaurin. 

Rahman was one of just 35 students across the state accepted into the Georgia Legislative Internship Program. The full-time paid internship has relocated the first-generation university student from Milledgeville to Atlanta for the spring semester. 

After applying, Rahman passed a personal interview with House and Senate staff, and a separate interview determined her placement and role. She assists with tasks like compiling folders with relevant documents for committee meetings, helping the legislative assistant and communicating with constituents. 

Rahman, who already has a strong baseline of knowledge about American politics and history from her schooling in the U.K., says she is excited to see firsthand how American governments are run. 

“I feel like it would help me gain bearings within the American legal system and political system,” Rahman said. “I feel like I’ve done quite well for myself in the U.K. law sector, so coming over here and doing a year abroad … I’m plunging myself into the situation. I feel like I’m finding my feet.” 

Back home in the U.K., Rahman is pursuing her undergraduate law degree from De Montfort University in Leicester, which has a partnership with Georgia College that facilitated her year abroad at GCSU. 

Rahman, who is of Nigerian descent, wants to go into law – whether in the U.K. or U.S. – to help underprivileged people in whatever way she can. 

“Being an ethnic minority, a lot of my people are from immigrant backgrounds – like me, I’m a first generation. I’m first generation of my family to go to university, I’m first generation of my family for a lot of things. Like, I’m the first person to experience most of this,” Rahman said. “As long as I can help people … I will be satisfied with my career.” 

When she decided she wanted to spend a year abroad, Rahman chose GCSU due to her late uncle’s ties to the state. Her experience since arriving has taught her all about Southern hospitality, she says. 

“Since I’ve been here, I’ve made so many friends that have decided to look out for me, people that have taken it upon themselves to make me feel comfortable,” Rahman said. “It is really heartwarming. I didn’t even feel like I missed home.” 

Georgia College’s small class sizes and emphasis on student involvement from day one helped her transition from England to Georgia be as smooth as possible. 

“The school really, really, really does try to get people involved in different things … For a school to go out of the way to try and give students some sort of community, it is nice,” Rahman said. “And the teachers as well. The staff are so, so helpful, especially at the international office.” 

One of those staff members at the International Education Center is Jason Wynn, assistant director for International Student & Scholar Services. 

From helping her with immigration documents, securing a visa, obtaining a social security number and other necessary behind-the-scenes planning to regular personal check-ins, Rahman said Wynn helps his students every way he can. 

“I’m really proud of her,” Wynn said. “She’s only been here a few months, so she’s grown really fast, obviously … I think from day one, she’s been able to fit in, but now she’s just thriving.”

Header Image: Ayomide Rahman in front of the "gold dome" of the Georgia State Capitol in Atlanta. (Photo: Ayomide Rahman)