From Georgia to Mount Union: Zardiashvili '28 Finds Community on Campus
January 26, 2026By: Kaede Takashi '26
When Davit Zardiashvili ’28 reflects on why he came to the United States, his answer begins long before college applications and scholarship forms. Growing up in the small country of Georgia, he envisioned the U.S. as a place where he could fully pursue his academic and professional goals.
“I just knew America had the opportunities that I needed to really be successful in life,” he says. “Even when I was a child, obviously I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I knew that this destination would give me the resources that I needed, especially coming from a small country like Georgia.”
Georgia, the biomedical engineering major explains, is “so small” and doesn’t always have the same options for highly motivated students, particularly in specialized STEM fields. That awareness, combined with what he saw in movies and on the internet, shaped a clear conviction: if he wanted to grow and eventually contribute back home, studying in the United States could be a crucial step.
A Transformative Year Through FLEX
That opportunity materialized through the Future Leaders Exchange (FLEX) Program, a merit-based scholarship funded by the U.S. Department of State. FLEX brings secondary school students from Europe and Eurasia to the United States for an academic year to live with host families, attend U.S. high schools, and share their cultures.
The application took almost a year and included multiple steps, but the result was life-changing. Davit spent the 2023–2024 school year living in Paris Township and attended Marlington High School in Alliance.
He immersed himself in American high school life and ultimately completed a U.S. diploma. “I got a diploma. I still have to pick it up actually,” he says, smiling. “But I graduated from Marlington High School here in America, which is so crazy.”
Because of the timing of his exchange and his transition to higher education, he did not graduate from a secondary school in Georgia, a unique educational path that strengthened his connection to Ohio.
Finding a Home at Mount Union
Davit first encountered the University of Mount Union through a field trip from his high school. That visit, along with subsequent exploration of other universities, helped him clarify what kind of campus environment he wanted. “I actually visited other universities and I got into other universities too,” he says. “But Mount was just the right size, and I really felt the genuine connection that people have here.”
For him, the combination of small classes and faculty accessibility was especially appealing. “It’s easier to really talk to your professors, and classes are smaller,” he explains. “I think I really enjoyed just the feeling of a smaller school because compared to other big schools that I could have chosen, it’s crazy. Here, I really enjoyed that.”
Choosing Biomedical Engineering
Initially, Davit considered studying biology. That changed after he saw Mount Union’s engineering facilities and learned more about biomedical engineering. “I switched to biomedical engineering because when I saw the engineering building and the high‑tech labs that we have, I was like, 'this is what I want to do,'” he says.
“This semester is the first semester I’m taking a biomedical engineering-specific class, biomaterials—and I’m so excited,” Davit shares. “I’m loving that class, and that class allows me to learn more opportunities that are in biomedical engineering.” Those opportunities may shape his eventual focus in the field, whether in prosthetics, implants, or another area of medical device design.
"I switched to biomedical engineering because when I saw the engineering building and the high‑tech labs that we have, I was like, 'this is what I want to do."
A Winter Break of Service and Community
Davit’s Mount Union experience extends well beyond the classroom. Over winter break, he traveled to Indianapolis to participate in a Cru Winter Conference, a four-day gathering of college students centered on worship, teaching, and outreach. The conference drew students from universities across the region, including Kent State University and The Ohio State University, and gathered them in downtown Indianapolis.
One of the most impactful parts of the conference for Davit was the outreach day organized in partnership with local churches. Students went to door-to-door, distributing food and talking with residents. “We partnered up with local churches in the city and they gave us a lot of food and snacks to give to people who probably needed it,” he recalls. “We were going up to their houses and giving it to them and just talking to them about their involvement in their local church, if they like, what their relationship with God was, and trying to help out in a way.” Another day focused on serving people experiencing homelessness. “We actually went out in the city and we prayed for the homeless people that let us talk to them,” he explains. “We had a chance to pull a couple pieces of clothing and some food for people that looked like they needed it.”
Beyond the service component, he found the relational side of the conference especially meaningful. “I feel like I made lifelong friends there in four days,” he says. “It was the best environment to make friends and like everyone was super nice.” He also appreciated that the event was welcoming to students from different backgrounds. “There was no like religious domination of like, ‘Oh, it’s Christian’ or ‘it’s Catholic’ or ‘it’s Orthodox,’” he explains. “Anybody with any beliefs…if you were interested in kind of deepening your relationship with God, it’s for everybody.”
The experience also changed how he views his own challenges. “I sometimes struggle with thinking I’m the only one going through hard times or I’m the only one struggling with classes,” he admits. “And it was just so nice to talk to other students from different universities and share experiences and see that, no, I’m not the only one. I feel way calmer, more confident, and more motivated for this semester after going there.”
Looking Ahead: Experience in the U.S., Impact in Georgia
As he looks toward his remaining time at Mount Union, Davit is focused on gaining as much practical experience as possible. “I just want to get as much experience and hands‑on involvement as I can,” he says. “I know that our university does offer things that I can do, so I’m just excited to do those. That would be my main goal for the next two years and get as good of grades as possible.”
After graduation, he hopes to stay in the United States initially, either through work or further study. “I would definitely want to stay in America, just to get more education,” he explains. “I don’t know if it’s going to look like…a job first and then kind of master’s, or master’s then a job. I don’t know what exactly it’s going to be. But preferably a job would be nice.” He is also interested in Optional Practical Training (OPT), which allows eligible international students to gain work experience in their field of study after completing their degree.
In the long term, however, his vision points back to Georgia. “Ultimately, my goal would be to take what I learned from here and implement it in Georgia,” he says. “My country doesn’t have a lot of opportunities and we do have a lot of people that would greatly benefit from modern prosthetics or implants or like whatever biomedical engineering does.”
Biomedical engineering programs like Mount Union’s are designed to prepare graduates to address exactly these types of needs, equipping them to identify and solve complex engineering problems in ways that consider public health, safety, global, and societal factors. For Davit, each class, research conversation, and campus experience is a step toward that larger purpose.
“I just want to get as much experience and become a great professional to go back and share my knowledge to my country or implement something new that they don’t have,” he emphasizes. “Anything that will allow me that, I would gladly accept.”