From Mongolia to GTCC, a fulfilling educational journey for Ariunaa

“GTCC has helped shape me into someone who values resilience, service, and connection. It has shown me that becoming is a lifelong process, and that every challenge can teach you something if you are willing to grow through it,” Ariuna.

Munkhtsetseg “MoJo” Ariunaa left Mongolia when she was 17 and headed to Guilford Technical Community College in search of the best computer science education possible. She will leave the college in May with two years of that education behind her, a four-year school on the horizon, and much more.

“At GTCC, I have grown in ways that go far beyond academics,” said Ariunaa. “Growth often asks you to be patient with yourself while you adjust, to stay strong when things feel unfamiliar, and to keep believing in who you are becoming even before you fully see it for yourself.”

Mongolia is about 7,000 miles from the Triad. It is a landlocked country in East Asia bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south and is one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world.

Ariunaa has extended family in the Triad area, and when she and her parents began researching college opportunities in the United States, they focused on North Carolina. GTCC stood out as a strong starting point.

“We began researching for the best education possible,” said Ariunaa. “We were looking at colleges that have strong computer science and computer security programs.”

GTCC seemed like a good fit, and the decision was sealed when college representatives responded quickly to every question Ariunaa and her family asked.

She was fluent in English when she arrived in the United States.

“I started learning English when I was 6,” she said.

That made the adjustment easier, but not without challenges.

“It was all kind of new, when I first arrived,” said Ariunaa. “The culture was different and I had to speak in a different language every second of the day.

“There are differences in scientific words. We used the metric system in Mongolia, so that part has been different, but I got used to it.”

She did more than acclimate to her studies at GTCC. She leaned into the full college experience.

She served as a student ambassador, president of the International Students Association, and a member of the Honors Program. She also worked as a front desk assistant at the college’s Center for Academic Engagement and helped classmates as a computer science and math tutor.

“I first started in the international student’s society,” said Ariunaa. “That’s where I made my first friend. My friend was a student ambassador. I liked what she was doing, helping other people and I wanted to do that. I wanted to get out of my comfort zone. I worked on my speaking skills, and I joined the Honors Program to network more.”

She believes it is vital to give back to others.

“I want people to feel supported, seen, and encouraged,” she said. “I know what it feels like to enter a new environment and have to find your place, so being able to help someone else through that process is deeply meaningful to me.”

Ariunaa completed the Transfer Pathway Program in computer science in December 2025 and will walk with the graduating class in May. She hopes to transfer to a four-year university to pursue a degree in computer science.

Ariunaa also knows GTCC has had a lasting impact on her life.

“GTCC has helped shape me into someone who values resilience, service, and connection. It has shown me that becoming is a lifelong process, and that every challenge can teach you something if you are willing to grow through it. I’m still becoming, still learning, and still striving to use my experiences in a way that uplifts others.”