Growing up in the small agricultural town of Carrollton, Missouri, Ruby Schmidt didn’t imagine she would one day spend eight months studying and working in Saudi Arabia.
But as a junior in Georgia Tech’s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE), Schmidt has come to embrace the unexpected.
“When you enroll at Georgia Tech, opportunities are going to come up that you never thought about, so I encourage new students to be open to them,” Schmidt said. “My experience in Saudi Arabia became one of the greatest in my life. Since living abroad, I’ve become more adaptable, outgoing, and resilient.”
Small Town Background
Schmidt’s path to Georgia Tech was shaped early by her family. Her father, a crop farmer who grows soybeans and corn, never attended college, but strongly encouraged her to pursue higher education. Her mother, a retired elementary school principal, reinforced that message.
“When I got into Tech, my parents said, ‘You need to go,’” Schmidt recalled. “They knew it was the best fit for me.”
Initially drawn to chemistry, biology, and math, Schmidt chose chemical engineering because it allowed her to explore multiple interests at once. She was particularly interested in food production, inspired in part by her background in agriculture and projects she completed through 4-H.
“Chemical engineering focuses a lot on processes,” she said. “Everything produced has a process that can be improved and optimized, so chemical engineering was a natural fit for my interest in food production.”
Saudi Arabia Experience
During the spring 2025 semester of her sophomore year, Schmidt became part of the first cohort (seven students) of a new Georgia Tech exchange program with King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
The program, designed with chemical engineering students in mind, allows participants to stay on track academically with core chemical engineering courses. This was attractive to Schmidt as it would not require her to significantly push back graduation as some other international opportunities might have.
Aramco, the national oil and gas company of Saudi Arabia, automatically accepted students in the KFUPM program into a summer internship after their spring semester studies.
Schmidt worked at Aramco’s headquarters in the Gas Operations Technical Support Division, where she focused on a sulfur regeneration project.
“It was my first corporate experience, and I found gas operations extremely interesting,” she said. “Now I’m not sure which direction I want to head professionally. I’m still interested in food production, but I’m leaning more toward energy.”
Cultural Transitions
Coming from a small, rural community, Schmidt had already experienced a little shock when she arrived at Georgia Tech, adapting to a large city and meeting people from a huge range of backgrounds.
“That’s been one of the most rewarding parts of Tech, and now some of my best friends are from all over the world," she said.
By the time she arrived in Saudi Arabia, she felt more prepared to engage with new cultures. Even so, there were still adjustments — particularly around religion and gender norms.
“The biggest difference was religion,” she said. “I had very little exposure to Islam growing up, but everyone was incredibly kind and open. If I had questions, people were happy to answer them. Now learning about world religions is one of my side hobbies.”
On campus, men and women were largely segregated in housing, dining, and even classrooms, reflecting policies that have only recently begun to change. “It was more extreme than I expected,” she said. “But it was also one of the safest environments I’ve ever been in," she said.
Schmidt also adapted to local customs in practical ways. While not required, she often wore a hijab and abaya (a loose-fitting robe), both for comfort and convenience. “It was actually cooler in the heat,” she said. “And you could get ready in 10 minutes and still look presentable.”
Outside the classroom, Schmidt explored Saudi Arabia, visiting Riyadh, attending festivals, and even participating in Ramadan traditions like iftar meals with local students.
“I didn’t know anyone when I arrived,” she said. “But that turned out to be a non-issue. Everyone welcomed me with open arms.”
Active on Campus
At Georgia Tech, Schmidt serves on the finance committee for the student chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) and leads the Book Jackets reading club as president. For five semesters, she also participated in a recruitment program for women students.
Receiving guidance and support through ChBE’s Peer Mentor program was key to her adjustment to campus life and the major, she said. “It really helped solidify that Georgia Tech and the ChBE major were the right choices for me.”
Schmidt said she really appreciates the collaborative spirit of the ChBE community. “It’s not competitive at all,” she said. “Everyone understands we are all in this together. If you’ve got questions on homework, people are collaborative even if you don’t know them well.”