I entered LAU as a clean slate, and now I am leaving with so much experience and knowledge that I want to share it with other students. My undergraduate experience has been outstanding, from an academic standpoint, as well as in terms of extracurricular activities, internships, and career opportunities.

The fact that LAU is very student-centered helped me transform from a shy person to the Lara who is currently interning at a leading company and conducting job interviews without stuttering.

A defining moment for me was a trip to New York for Global Classrooms International Model United Nations (GCIMUN). When we went to the LAU NY headquarters, I felt so proud to see how my university – which I call home – had such an international outreach. We got the chance to stand on the podium of the UN Headquarters in NYC, and it felt remarkable to be able to do just that as a first-year student. The years that followed were nothing short of extraordinary.

I have already been accepted into the London School of Economics for my graduate studies, but the plan has been put on hold due to Lebanon’s financial problems and not being able to transfer funds abroad. For now, I am interning at Ernst & Young, an opportunity I got thanks to the LAU Case Competition, and which will hopefully become a full-time job.

What I hope for is a youth-led Lebanon. The youth constitute the majority of the population and I would like to see them take charge, especially as there have been independent movements headed by competent people. I want to be part of this change, by making use of my experience and expertise.

My message to incoming LAU students – among whom is my own sister – is this: good academic standing is not enough; you must take advantage of every opportunity given to you. Even with the lockdown and amid the chaotic phase following the Beirut explosion, the university was always there, giving us chances to prosper and reinvent ourselves.