I firmly believe that LAU gives all its students tremendous opportunities to thrive.

Alongside academics, I worked as a research assistant to many LAU faculty members, founded and headed the Gender and Sexuality Club, and ran as a secular and independent candidate for the student council elections.

As part of our club’s activities, we raised awareness on topics that remain taboo in Lebanon and the region, such as gender and sexual diversity, inclusivity, and women’s sexuality. This might not have been possible on other university campuses, but at LAU, we felt encouraged to fight stigma and hatred with outspokenness and science.

When LAU held the first student council elections following the October 17 Uprising and the Beirut explosion, the winning independents became a symbol of hope for the Lebanese people at large.

I feel that the university provided me with a new family of supportive friends and amazing mentors and gave me chances to develop my academic and leadership skills, while supporting me to fight for my values fearlessly.

These skills helped me get selected as a Fulbright scholar, and I will be pursuing a Master of Science in Child and Family Studies at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, next year.

As Fulbright scholars, we are expected to acquire skills that will aid the development of our country when we return. It is no secret that, for any child in Lebanon now, development is hindered by a handful of obstacles, with poverty increasing and leading to many socioeconomic problems such as school drop-outs, child labor, child marriage, domestic violence, and lack of access to basic needs from food to healthcare.

My goal is to obtain a PhD and to pursue a career in academia, to research the impact of adversity on the different areas of development and finding evidence-based prevention and intervention programs to help children and families in need.