Where are they now? Al-Dayel travels the world in pursuit of lifelong learning

Although both are only in their early 30s, Nadia Al-Dayel, a member of the Class of 2003 at New Rockford High School, and her husband Aaron Anfinson, a native of nearby Cando, have traveled to so many exotic sites that most of us, even if we had multiple lifetimes, could never hope to visit. Due to a commitment to their education and a desire to see the world, this young couple has made five international moves in 10 years with an upcoming move to Washington, D.C., scheduled for this winter.

Meeting at North Dakota State University, the two earned the first of a series of college degrees. Upon graduation, they spent a year teaching English in Da Nang, Vietnam. They then moved to Hong Kong, teaching English again for a couple of years at a local school system. Following this experience, the two taught at a technical college in the country of Oman, located on the Arabian peninsula. Some of their students were the very first ones to receive an education in their families.

Returning to Hong Kong, Aaron earned his doctoral degree, and Nadia gained her master of arts while teaching full-time in a government school. Currently living in the United Kingdom, Nadia just completed her thesis for her doctorate degree from the University of Nottingham. Nadia's other degrees have been in the humanities, with an emphasis on philosophy, English Language Studies, during which she received a distinction on a dissertation that studied Islamic State propaganda, and most recently, Politics and International Relations.

Nadia studied the Islamic State for several years and noticed that current research has missed the importance of how the Islamic State uses their Western foreign fighters. These fighters include Americans, Canadians, British, Australians, French, among others. Her doctoral thesis provides an updated counter-terrorism method to understand why terrorist groups are successful in recruiting citizens from around the world. Nadia says, "I investigate terrorist propaganda, from the non-violent to ultra-violent."

Her extensive work has not come without danger as possessing propaganda can land public investigators in jail with terrorism charges, especially Arab-American women, like Nadia. On the up-side, after consulting a lawyer, Nadia has written a defense for studying terrorism materials. Parts of this defense document will be published in 2019 in top security journals. Nadia hopes that her work will contribute to future counter-terrorism policies.

Not only does Nadia's writing receive international recognition, but her lectures also have taken her all over the world. Because the University of Hong Kong is ranked as one of the leading universities globally, Nadia had frequent opportunities to hear prominent scholars speak about a variety of topics. Now Nadia has been invited to speak at international conferences that feature experts on terrorism, secret intelligence and people who rescue kidnapped humanitarian aide workers from terrorist groups. Currently, as a research associate, she is hard at work on a complicated project that analyzes how the Islamic State uses slavery, which will be helpful in rescue efforts.

Born in Rasta Nura, a city in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Nadia has an older brother Omar, who lives in Moorhead with his wife Brittany. Their parents are Merita Elaine Dablow-Aldayel and Adnan Qasim Aldayel. The family moved to New Rockford when Nadia was in the sixth grade, after spending time in the KSA, Louisiana and Oregon. Because summer trips were previously made to New Rockford to visit Merita's mother Nellie, the transition to move here permanently was somewhat easier for Nadia and her brother, but they both naturally noticed the lack of diversity in this small rural community compared to the other places they had lived and the other schools they had attended.

Merita and Adnan run a busy family farm of Katahdin sheep, Arabian horses and chickens. They also manage farmland. In Nadia and Aaron's biannual trips back to the Midwest, Nadia loves visiting the farm, and checking out the animals is definitely a highlight for her. Growing up in North Dakota has prepared the couple for extremes, such as the time when their steering wheel once literally melted outside the Empty Quarter, the largest sand desert on the planet. Nadia realizes, "This bizarre happening made us think about prepping our car for the summer heat in the same way people in North Dakota prep their cars for sub-zero temperatures!"

Other unique travel experiences include taking a railroad trip in a 1940s train to remote villages in Burma, comparing the vast plains of Mongolia to that of North Dakota, and ending up in the DMZ area between North and South Korea during the intense standoff between President Trump and Leader Kim Jong-Un. Nadia says that Barcelona, Spain, is her favorite city of all of the places she has traveled.

Because Nadia is so urbane from her experiences, she has to prove to friends with photos as evidence that she did indeed grow up on a small farm in the Midwest! She thinks back to New Rockford's impressive annual Fourth of July fireworks shows, her class's annual work on homecoming parade floats and high school speech event competitions. She misses the quiet of North Dakota. The vibrancy of the summer during which one can spend the entire day outdoors is another aspect of living in this area that Nadia sometimes longs for.

Nadia gives much credit for her success to her parents. "Their amazing work ethic and ability to tackle different jobs in various countries really has influenced and inspired me to work hard, adapt to different cultures, and achieve my goals," she proudly states. Nadia offers simple advice to anyone who aspires to accomplish even a small portion of her scope of experiences. She is adamant when she advises people of all ages to invest in education. She says, "Whether you listen to podcasts or radio shows, discuss themes in a book club, or take night classes toward a certificate or degree, there are so many opportunities to learn so that you can pass that knowledge and wisdom onto your children."

Saudi Arabia, North Dakota, Vietnam, Hong Kong twice, Burma, Mongolia, the DMZ, Oman, United Kingdom, and soon Washington, D.C. This extensive list does not even cover the many international conferences Aaron and Nadia have attended. Yes, this couple has seen much of the world! No doubt travel and lifelong learning will continue to be ingrained in their lives.