Ahmed Ayad spent the first 25 years of his life in his native Egypt, but he still finds it difficult to say “Tutankhamen” – the full name of the famous pharaoh known as King Tut.
“I’m not going to pronounce it – it’s too hard,” Ayad, 31, told a group of eighth-graders last week at Waunakee Middle School, where they are studying the Middle East.
Ayad, who is working on his doctorate degree in computer science at UW-Madison, is one of about 60 students from countries around the world who volunteer to share their experiences and perspectives with audiences on and off campus as part of the university’s International Reach program.