Experience

My Journey at LAU

Nour Fadwa Richani ‘22

“Architecture? That needs a studious, intellectual student. You won’t make it out there!” How do you imagine an 18-year-old’s reaction to such a comment coming from a teacher? I was that young woman five years ago, and to this day, this comment resonates whenever I achieve a new milestone. 

I started my journey with a GPA of 4.00 and was highly motivated to achieve more. LAU, being an immensely supportive institution, reached out to me to join the Honors Program and granted me the Merit Scholarship. With continuous recognition and appreciation, I was encouraged to work harder to maintain a high GPA and keep up with the opportunities offered by the university, one of which was the chance to join clubs.

I became a regular member of The Red Cross Youth Club, then its Public Relations representative, and two years later, I was elected president. I also joined the Photography Club as a vice president, as well as the American Institution of Architecture Students (AIAS) chapter as the Freedom by Design Director on the board. I was also a member of the Music and Design clubs.

Before enrolling at LAU, I was a Karate coach and a piano teacher. So, throughout my five academic and service years, I made sure to put the skills I acquired in my off-campus extracurricular activities into practice. I mastered my leadership skills by leading the Red Cross Youth Sector Center, and my communication skills by being a trainer. I was publicly speaking to hundreds of members in diverse training programs.

I also improved my teamwork, decision-making, and problem-solving skills while organizing club activities and events. Through these experiences, I learned how to take responsible and rational decisions individually or as a team to resolve issues. Moreover, managing my studies and extracurricular activities helped me to master my time-management skills.

Being a self-driven and highly determined student, I aced all my architecture projects, which led me to participate in many exhibitions. It has been an inspiration and a push for me to work harder and overcome all the negative circumstances we encountered in Lebanon. Although studying architecture was a challenging and overwhelming experience, it was rewarding and most enjoyable. 

LAU kept motivating and supporting me to the last minute! The university valued my efforts and granted me the President’s Award, of which I’m extremely proud. My journey has not been easy but hard work pays off in the end. Now that I have already started working in the field, I am looking forward to thriving and evolving professionally. I would also love to get a master’s soon.

I hope that my story inspires young undergraduates to never let any negative comments stop them from pursuing their dreams. At last, I can proudly say: “I made it with high distinction!”