More than two years ago, Faeirouz Elbergwa was among a select group of Libyans sent by her government to an American university to train for the nation's diplomatic corps. As she prepares for the final stage of her studies, she and her fellow Libyas find themselves in an odd state of limbo — a vestige of a regime that no longer exists and unsure what might await them in their much-changed homeland. Elbergwa, 27, and 18 colleagues in a Libyan diplomatic training program at Michigan State University watched in amazement during the last year as the North African nation was convulsed by a violent revolution that ended with the overthrow and death of leader Muammar Gaddafi. When the regime fell, many of the students were elated. Elbergwa said she and her family “took the side of the revolution from day one.” But she wonders if people in her war-torn country will think of her as a would-be Gaddafi government official when it's time for her to return. “Maybe some of them will say I'm loyal to this family,” she said. “I think I don't care. It's what's in my heart that counts.” Student Mohammed Gibril also wonders about his future in Libya. “I might return home and nothing happens; I might return home and something happens,” he said.
