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International student found his groove upon return to MSU Texas
When Joshua Muroi walked across the stage at Midwestern State University on May 16, 2026, the moment marked more than a graduation—it marked a transformation.
Just a few years earlier, the international student from Saint Lucia had stepped away from college, unsure of his path. Now, with a degree in hand and a job waiting in the energy industry, Muroi leaves as a proud MSU Texas graduate who made the most of his second chance. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the McCoy College of Science, Mathematics & Engineering.
His mother, Perline Mathurin, traveled from Saint Lucia to witness the milestone — one that once felt uncertain.
“I felt like leaving had broken my mom’s heart,” Muroi said. “But the time away was exactly what I needed.”
After leaving MSU Texas, Muroi returned home and spent two years working a variety of jobs. He taught, drove a taxi, and worked in property management—experiences that gave him perspective but also revealed what was missing.
“And then I found petroleum—or maybe petroleum engineering found me,” Muroi said. “I fell in love with it.”
That discovery gave him direction.
“I was always a good student,” said Muroi, who was an honor roll member in 2019 and 2020 in his first stint at MSU Texas and again in 2025 after returning. “But at that point, good grades weren’t enough. I needed meaning and purpose behind it.”
With a clear goal in mind, he immersed himself in his studies at the McCoy College of Science, Mathematics & Engineering. He threw himself into coursework, research, Senior Design, and extracurriculars like the university’s Formula SAE team.
Time, he said, suddenly moved much faster as he became more involved.
“Honestly, I have to give credit to all the faculty, especially those at McCoy,” Muroi said. “They can be hard on you, but you come
to understand why. They expect the best out of us because they want to put out the best. They didn’t make it easy—but that makes it all the more rewarding.”
One moment, in particular, stuck with him.
He recalls struggling some, as were many of his classmates, in Salim Azzouz’s class in Spring 2024. But a tough day turned into a turning point.
“I was doing so badly in his class, and then this one day he was so mad at the class because of how we did,” Muroi said. “He’s not one to waste class time, but he spent an entire class period to get on our butts about it.”
It hit home for Muroi. He was going to do better. That’s why he returned to MSU Texas after all.
“I went home and wrote him a letter,” he said. “I felt like he was speaking to me. I didn’t sign the letter, but I said that I was going to prove to myself - and to him- that I could do better.”
He never told Azzouz it was him who wrote the letter, but the results spoke volumes.
Muroi finished his time at MSU Texas with a flourish, including recognition for research. He was honored for the project, “Exploring the Electrochemical Potential of Produced-Water Mud Systems,” at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research 2026 in Virginia.
Following graduation, Muroi will begin his next chapter with Liberty Energy in Louisiana—an opportunity that reflects both his academic growth and his purpose.
For Muroi, the journey included a necessary detour, but it ultimately led him exactly where he needed to be. And along the way, both his mother and Azzouz were able to see that success come to life.
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