From the Department of Agricultural Economics...

This week's International Student of the Week is Mr. Edson Jorge Baptista Ali. He is an undergraduate sophomore student in Agricultural Economics, Farm and Ranch Management. Edson is from Mozambique, located in Southeastern Africa. He speaks Portuguese, English and his tribal language, Yaao. Edson spends most of his time studying, however whenever he is given the chance he enjoys watching movies. He also enjoys going to the Colvin Center to play basketball and volleyball.

Edson came to the United States for a better education and to gain an experience of a lifetime. “You can go to the moon,” said Edson. He believes it is a big step in his life that will reflect his future. He came to Oklahoma State University because of the amazing Agricultural Program. He also stated that it was affordable and his older sister attended Oklahoma University, so he thought he would make peace between the two schools.

His future plan after graduating here at Oklahoma State University is to go back to his home country and operate his family’s farm. He thought the knowledge and experience he will gain at OSU will benefit his family farm immensely. Edson's family is very important to him; he has three brothers and one sister. His father Aires Ali is the Minister of Education and Culture in Mozambique, while his mother takes care of the family farm. The farm is about 60 hectares; they raise cattle, chicken, corn, beans, potatoes and onions. There are 35 different tribes on the north side of Mozambique, but their tribe specializes in traditional agriculture and hunting. This is an integral part of Edson’s life and he is looking forward to sharing his knowledge to advance and better his tribe.

His advisor is Dr. Francis Epplin.

Interview by Taryn Fast, International Ag Programs