You may have noticed some new faces in our Main Office during this summer-Liz Yu and
Elyas Alalli! Liz Yu (yes, she was our third Elizabeth in the LA office) was our intern, and
Elyas worked with us full-time during our busiest season. What you may have not known
though, is that Elyas is actually not “new”. He used to be a student with ELC not too long
ago, and has returned to assist us in the office.
We interviewed Elyas to learn more about him, and to also get some advice on applying
to college in the U.S.!
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Name: Elyas Alalli
Studied at ELC in: 3/28/11-2/24/12
Current School: California State University Northridge (CSUN)
Major: Biochemistry
Future Plan: Disney Animator/Medical School
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I chose ELC because I wanted to be near my grandfather, whom at the time I was living
with. I was originally booked to study in Michigan, but decided that being around family
would make the transition from Saudi Arabia to America easier. That is when my agency
told me about ELC.
I really enjoyed my Cambridge preparation courses. I met a lot of new students who
I now call friends. I’ve also learned a lot from the diverse cultural backgrounds my
classmates had to offer. I definitely made special bonds with certain teachers that I’ll
keep forever.
However, the best memories were always in the office. I can honestly say that the office
staff made me feel very welcomed. Waking up extra early to catch my hour and a half
bus ride to make it to school every day was worth it because I got to hang out with them
in between class. I even stayed behind longer, at times.
I actually had to wait half a year to apply to my university because I missed a lot of
deadlines. After that, it was just a process of acquiring all the necessary documents, may
it be tests, transcripts, or letters of recommendation. So please apply in ADVANCE to
find out what documents are needed. I cannot stress on that enough. Most students
make the mistake of leaving the applications until the last minute. That is not in your
favor. Another tip is to go to the colleges or universities in person. It helps when the
admissions office has a face to picture when they go over the thousands of applications.
It really helps yours stand out.
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I really enjoy being able to work with the office staff. Being back here at ELC is just
great.ot many people get to say that they truly enjoy the people they work with. I, on
the other hand, can. I can also say that they are not only my colleagues, but they are
also dear friends of mine. So, waking up in the morning to go to work isn’t bad at all.
I cannot think of anything that I’m not a big fan of. Would it be too cheesy to say that
I’m not a big fan of leaving? Haha, honestly I just wish I got to see my coworkers more
often when I’m not working at ELC. That is my only complaint.
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Thank you Elyas for helping us out so much! Students, teachers, and especially the office
staff appreciate all the time, hard work, and cheerful attitude that you’ve provided us.
We will miss you, but we will try to fix your complaint and keep in touch! See you
again Elyas!