Experience

LAUers in More Ways than One

Amal & Tony Abdel Massih

To our dearest Rachelle, 

We are beyond proud and blessed to have you as our daughter, and an engineer nonetheless! 

Your years at university were full of challenges and hardships, but you made the best out of them, making us proud along the way! 

Moving out of your nest for a year for your internship abroad was not an easy decision for any of us, but you have made the best out of it. It turned out to be an excellent step for your future, and you grew immensely thanks to the many experiences you encountered. 

But your parents can still teach you a thing or two…. So we will take this as a chance to share with you some advice we hope you can keep in your heart. 

As cliché as it sounds, take risks! People from our generation know how difficult it is for us to take risks, when risks could cost us our lives back in the days. But this made us understand the tremendous importance of not confining ourselves to our safety zones. It is easy for all of us to remain stagnant in our comfort zones, and we forget to peer out onto new adventures. Though we find comfort in what we know, we will keep on reminding you to always step into the unknown and to not fall back in the face of your fears. 

Do not shy away from challenges. The only way to move closer to achieving your dreams is to battle every challenge that comes your way, and there will be many. Face each challenge with confidence, and know that even if you fail, there are so many people around you who are ready to lift you back up. 

Know that the sky is the limit! Always believe that you can aim for higher goals, and that you can deal with all that life has to offer. There is a whole new world for you to discover, and it is just waiting for you to step right into it. Never be afraid to reach for your dreams and take every risk necessary to get to them. As challenging as it may be, the reward is worth every risk, mistake, fear, and much, much more.

We are fortunate to be graduates and part of the same university!

With so much love and pride, 

Mom and Dad

To Mom and Dad, 


Reading your words on our graduation has touched us more than you can imagine! We will hold the advice that you gave us very close to our hearts, and we can only hope to live by it.
 
Today, after stepping into our future, with little unsteady steps, we can’t but thank you for everything you’ve done for us to get to where we are now. 
 
Thank you for every sacrifice you have done for our sake. 
Thank you for teaching us right from wrong. 
Thank you for encouraging us to always take risks. 
Thank you for reminding us of how great our little accomplishments are. 
Thank you for every time you chose our happiness above yours.

We can go on and on about all we are thankful for, but we’re pretty sure there’s a limit on the number of words we can write in this message, and words will never be enough to express our gratitude and love toward you both. 
 
We can only hope to keep on making you proud in all the years to come and to always have you by our sides, in all circumstances.
 
With a lot of love, 
 
Maria and Rachelle