Experience

My Journey at LAU

Hadi Zeaiter ’22

When I first began my journey at LAU, I had just finished my freshman year at another university and was beginning my academic journey in the field of economics. It was not an easy transition since I had to build new friendships and relations with professors from scratch.

Social Work Club

It took a few months before my social relations started to blossom, and it was in the Social Work Club that I first formed my earliest friendships. At that time, I was just a member alongside my now dear friend Yasmina El Masri and we were both first-years who had yet to be exposed to the way clubs worked at LAU and had little to no leadership experience. Yet, we were mentored by social work major Nour Fakih, who went on to become the club’s president. She helped us establish strong, confident personalities and explained how clubs operate. Thanks to her guidance I was able to secure the treasurer position in my final year, which fed my community service spirit and drove me to partake in social justice issues.

Projects and Peers

Celine Boutros

It was not just the Social Work Club that had an impact on my journey at LAU but also the projects that I worked on with my colleagues and people I met in my major. One such project was a research paper with economics major Celine Boutros, and it was with her that my entire persona was reshaped. She guided me on how to better manage my time and advance my writing and research skills. She became a true role model and when we submitted our paper it was highly praised by our professor, becoming among the top papers in the course. Her influence did not just impact my academic ability but also the friendships that I went on to form because of her. If it weren’t for her I would not have been motivated to continue to push myself to work harder. She showed me my true potential and how I had so much to offer and for that, I will forever hold her in high regard.

Karim Fattah

I went on to meet other people in my major who proved to me why I deserved to remain in the field I chose and managed to subdue my uncertainty about some courses. In one such course, I met another economics major Karim Fattah who helped me overcome doubts about my math skills and gave me practical tips that refined the way I approached problems. His resilience, confidence, and personality are what I admire most about him, and he passed them on to me, helping me to develop my social skills. Thus, I will always be thankful to have met someone like him.

The person I am today

End of the Hult Prize Program with Campus Director Aya Farhat
5th LAU Case Competition Day of the Final Event
My parents continued to be my biggest support system; their faith in me never wavered even during the most stressful times that I had to endure.

All these key moments molded me into the person I am today. Therefore, when I look back at my 18-year-old self I am certain that I would be unrecognizable to that younger version of myself, full of self-doubt and worried that I would never be good enough.

Nevertheless, the friendships I made during my time at LAU pushed me to recognize my fears and work on conquering them.

What remains to be my greatest accomplishment to date is the transformation that my professors saw me undergo. My professors were adamant that I had the aptitude to become among LAU’s successful alumni, and their belief is what led them to wholeheartedly nominate me for the Torch Award. So, to have been granted the award not only stands as a testament to them on how far I’ve come but to all those who believed in me and most importantly myself.

The person I hope to become

LAU has allowed me to build connections that will remain with me even after I graduate. Ten years from now I can look back and appreciate what this prestigious institution has gifted me. Its environment, faculty, and student body are some of its strongest assets and to have been exposed to them shows how even after we advance in our careers, LAU will remain a big part of our lives due to the bonds we formed.

Now that I have graduated, I intend to pursue a master’s in public policy and hopefully go on to obtain a PhD. My interest in public policy stems from the wide array of subjects I was exposed to at LAU. I want to conduct policy research and work on specific policy issues that allow for advocacy work in order to enhance the legislative branch through new rules, laws, and regulations. I want to be a part of the change that is taking place around the world in terms of countries re-examining and rectifying their policies. Hence, it will put me among the leaders of change in a world that is constantly evolving and adapting. LAU has equipped me with the right tools and mindset to take on this challenge and I hope I can be a role model to those who will take a similar path as mine.