Gurban Mustafazade was born and raised in the city of Baku in Azerbaijan. At just 16 years old, he made his journey to the United States. He is now a third-year student at California State University, Chico, majoring in mechatronic engineering.

In Gurban's search for a university abroad, he came across Chico State, located in Northern California, and felt it was the perfect fit. The university not only offered the major he was looking for, but he also received multiple scholarships to attend.

Coming to California in August 2023 was Gurban's first time in the U.S. Socializing was a challenge at first, but he said living in the dorms on campus helped a lot.

“My roommate, he was an American guy,” Gurban said. “I was hanging out with him and he introduced me to his friends from classes, so I got to meet a lot of people.”

Another challenge he faced was the 12-hour time difference between California and Baku. His sleeping schedule took a hit when he first arrived, as he struggled with jet lag.

“When it's morning here it's night out there,” he said.

It was also hard to talk to his family and friends back home with such a drastic time difference. But he said, culturally, he was able to adjust to the States very quickly.

“Besides the U.S., I’ve traveled to a lot of countries in Europe,” Gurban said. “So I kind of knew what to expect from watching videos and stuff. I expected how it was going to look, and it was exactly the way that I expected.”

Now, three years into his degree, Gurban has made his roots at the university. Gurban said he’s been able to have many experiences and opportunities he never anticipated. 

He is a member of the Chico Rocketry and Aerospace Club. Recently, he was able to launch his own rocket in Reno, Nevada. The previous summer, he was invited to attend an international rocket engineering competition in Texas.

Gurban also enjoys coding, which led to an invitation to attend the Materials Research Society (MRS) 2026 Spring Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii. The MRS is a global, non-profit organization of materials researchers, scientists and engineers who are located in 90+ countries. 

Gurban and his Chico State classmates were some of the only undergraduates to attend the event and Gurban was the only student from Chico State presenting. 

“I was surrounded mostly by those pursuing their PhDs and professors,” he said.  

Gurban was invited to do a poster presentation about a website he developed. The website focuses on materials selection in early-stage design (using C++) for engineering students and researchers. 

“I got to meet a lot of people from different places and professors," he said “I got so many people asking questions, stopping by for the poster presentations. That was great.”

Gurban has had many opportunities in his classes at Chico as well to work on projects. In his advanced manufacturing class, he's been able to build multiple “projects from scratch,” and in his material science class, he is currently working on developing another website.

He also attends coding competitions called “hackathons.” With a website he made, he was able to attend an international hackathon competition with NASA, called the NASA International Space Apps Challenge. His website for the competition took him a lot of time and dedication.

“I worked on it probably 14 hours non-stop,” he said.

Besides attending his classes, Gurban works two on-campus jobs and holds a volunteer position. 

“I work at the BMU Student Life and Leadership [office],” he said. “We host events, help students with any questions that they have.”

He also works in the dining hall on campus, which he describes as “always packed but always fun.”

Alongside his two on campus jobs, he also volunteers as a Global Ally with the International Education and Global Engagement office on campus. In Gurban's experience, the Chico State community has been nothing but welcoming to international students.

“They help you with any questions that you have,” he said. “If you're stuck, you can always get help.”

Outside of school and work, Gurban enjoys going to the Wildcat Recreation Center (WREC) on campus and hanging out with his friends, visiting “small local businesses.”

He also enjoys taking short trips over breaks and weekends. Gurban has traveled to San Francisco, the Bay Area, Los Angeles, San Diego, Lake Tahoe and Mount Shasta. Outside of California, he’s been to Texas, Nevada and now, Hawaii. He's hoping to go to the East Coast this summer.

“Studying in the U.S. taught me how to be responsible in life, I’m just by myself as an international student,” Gurban said. “That makes you disciplined, and my work makes me socialize, it's made me a more social person.”

Gurban expressed there are a few things he wishes he knew before coming to Chico. Coming to the university as a minor, there are some policies he wishes he knew about beforehand. For example, at the university gym, students under the age of 18 must have a legal guardian sign their liability release form before they can be admitted into the gym. 

He also wished he knew more about how to find affordable, good off-campus housing. With working on campus, he’s also had to learn about filing his taxes.

“Do your research,” Gurban advised. “I wish I knew that earlier.”

For new and prospective students, he suggests going to as many on-campus events as possible and talking to new people.

“Go to the events, talk to people,” he said. “Students here like to see international students because they think everybody is local. Talk to your professors, go to their office hours, show that you’re interested in that class, professors like that and they’ll support you. Definitely travel and hang out with [other] international students.”

Gurban is expected to graduate from Chico State in December 2027. After graduation, he is hoping to pursue his master’s degree at an Ivy League university in the U.S. or abroad.