Experience

My Journey at LAU

Farah Haj Amor ’22

From my very first semester as a freshman, LAU staff members were very supportive especially as I was not sure what I wanted to major in. I had been considering English literature because I love reading, but my counselors helped me realize how much I enjoyed psychology. Through the process, I also discovered my passion for the theater and performing arts, and my scholarship allowed me to pursue both — for which I am very grateful.

At LAU, I had the opportunity to engage in a lot of theater productions, as well as complete internships related to psychology.

The idea for my capstone project actually came to mind during my internship at the Sociomedical Center of Tunis, where I realized how underserved children on the autism spectrum were and how costly services can be.

In a way, the project was a culmination of everything I have been taught here, especially about the value of serving the community.

Since day one, the administrators of the Middle East Partnership Initiative supported us and reassured us that they chose us for a reason. This gave me a lot of confidence and helped me realize that I do have something to offer — though I did not yet know what it was.

To see today that this project, encompassing psychology, mental health, the arts, and children, has been recognized really makes me grateful for the entire four years of my journey at LAU.

All of my professors motivated me and encouraged me to persevere. Ever since freshman days when I was taking Psychology 101, my instructor told me that I was very smart and had an eye for research, making me fall in love with the material. She does not know how great her influence on me has been.

Now, during my last semester, I have faculty who are encouraging me and telling me that my research has potential to get published. This is very reassuring and makes me even more thankful for the major I ended up choosing and for all the opportunities I have received.

Capstone project: Spect’Art, a drama therapy program tailored for children on the autism spectrum.