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I’m from Falcon, Colorado, but I go to Lebanon almost every year to visit my mom, grandmas, aunts, cousins and friends.

I’m majoring in journalism, because I want to be a travel writer one day.  I’m minoring in Women’s Studies, and hope to figure out a way to do something toward global women’s rights, too.  I’d love to work for National Geographic.

My favorite class?  It’s a tie between Women in Contemporary Society and the Women’s Seminar on Global Women’s Issues.  My professor was Barbara Hawthorne and I just love the way she presents information and gets all of her students interested in what she has to say. 

In our Women’s Study Seminar, we each had to do something in the community having to do with women.  One girl in my class interviewed strippers.  I did a survey of women at UNC about abusive relationships and self esteem.  What was interesting is most of the women scored high in self esteem and self worth…much higher than the national average.

I work at APASS (American Pacific American Student Services) and love it.  It’s an opportunity to work and volunteer and support others on campus, trying to bridge the gap between student cultural centers.

When I was in high school, I wasn’t really proud of my heritage.  I came here and started talking to a lot of students from Saudi and befriended them, and it’s helped me get much more in touch with my heritage.

When I graduated from high school, I made a list of things I wanted to do.  Since coming to UNC, I’ve accomplished so many of them.  I got certified in scuba, learned belly dancing, got a tattoo on my wrist. I’ve found my passion here.

Next year, I’m going to be involved in the International Ambassadors Program.  I’ll be assigned one to three new students from the Middle East.  I’ll meet them at the airport when they fly in, show them around campus, help them get connected and try to reduce the cultural shock of Colorado.  I’ll help them get plugged in and involved at UNC.