My experience at LAU is definitely one that I will always remember. Though I had already been an outgoing person in high school who loved taking charge, at LAU I learned to love my personality, and I am now at my happiest in terms of self-love and acceptance.

I was already familiar with LAU as I used to be a delegate at the LAU Model United Nations and my mom is a professor here, so growing up, I was always eager to start my university life here.

By the second year, as a junior, I was already heading the logistics team for one of the simulation programs and running for student council elections. Then, I got to travel and live on my own for the first time as an exchange student attending Sciences Po in France in 2019. It was a life-changing experience, and I don’t think that would have been possible if it were not for LAU, where I had one achievement after the other.

Right now, I think it is OK to feel hopeless about Lebanon, but I am not the kind of person who would give up. Though I am set to leave next year for my master’s degree, I am planning to come back, live here, and try to bring about change – I know that that’s when my hope will start to grow.  Our country deserves better and I genuinely believe that, one day, we will have a better Lebanon.

To incoming LAU students, I advise you to put yourself out there. LAU provides many opportunities, so be sure to check your emails and sign up for everything possible. The simplest or smallest event might open doors and connect you to people who will become close friends.

Also, as an example, when everything around us seemed to be going downhill, the university regularly sent out emails to help us cope and handle the challenges we came up against.