"It was not being able to say goodbye that was the hardest," says Laura Kliewer, a graduate student in the Communications program. Laura had grown up in Iran; it was her home.
In the summer of 1978 Teheran was under martial law. The number of riots in the streets escalated dramatically and curfews and blackouts were imposed. They were a frequent occurrence.
In December of 1978 Laura left Iran for what was supposed to be one-week tour with a dance troupe in Egypt. She was never to return to Iran.
"It was so hard to leave." Laura had lived in Iran for ten years. Her father is a petroleum engineer and the whole family moved there when Laura was only six.
While in Egypt she was told to go directly to Germany.
The school in Germany was actually a school for American military children: they ate their meals in the mess hall. Laura went on to complete her high school education in Germany.
From Germany Laura went to Northern Arizona University (NAU) and later transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). In 1984 she graduated with a B.A. in political science.
By this time Laura’s parents were working in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Laura decided to work in the Middle East for a while. She worked in the American Embassy there for six months and took Arabic lessons as well.
Laura returned to the United States and worked in California for about a year. She arrived at Wheaton Graduate School on two weeks notice. Laura had been accepted in the Broadcasting tract of the graduate communications department.
One of the main attractions at Wheaton was the newly opened Communications Resource Centre. The centre includes a state-of-the-art radio and television station. This provides for a great deal of hands-on experience for the broadcasting students.
Laura’s sister, Becky, is also at Wheaton College.
Laura hopes to write for radio or television in the Middle East with the goal of helping nationals develop their own communication skills.