Month: April 2017

Sophomore Year

This year has been great for me. I have grown a lot both personally and academically. I feel more comfortable in my current life because I have gotten myself into somewhat of a routine that fits what my life goals are. At the beginning of the new year I set a list of goals for myself. I think I have done well so far in accomplishing my goals.

Academically, I have grown a lot. I took my first real terrorism class and I learned a lot of information that can be useful in my career. This semester I took Terror and Terrorism with Jeffery Lewis. This class was very informative to me because it gave me a new perspective on terrorism. I learned that things that we categorize as terrorism may not actually be terrorism. They could be freedom fighters. this is especially the case with the FLN in Algeria when they were under the French. Through this class I was also able to learn about a lot of different “terrorist” organizations. For example, I learned about the Weather Underground. They were a terrorist group in the United States during the 60’s who were very much anti-government. This class gave me a whole new perspective on terrorism and terrorist.

This year I was the Co-President of Arabic Language Club. As Co-President, I did administrative tasks and ensured that the meetings ran smoothly as well as provided material for group discussion. This was a great experience for me because I got to get some great leadership experience. Next year I will be the Cultural Chair and be the lead event planner for our club. In addition to being a co-president, I was just recently promoted to a Student Cook Manager at Traditions at Kennedy. I have only been working at this job for a year and a half and I have already become a manager.

First Internship Interview with the Government

This year I had my first real interview for an internship in my career field. This was a very interesting event for me because it was so surreal. I got to have an exclusive sneak peak at what I thought could be a perfect job for me. I got to experience the security clearance process which was really serious and interesting. I was very nervous at the beginning of this experience because I had an interview of this type before and didn’t know what to expect. This was a great learning experience for me because I got to see how the government interview process goes. I will definitely be more prepared for future government interviews.

Spring Break 2017

For Spring Break this year I got to take a road trip to Panama City Beach, Florida. This car trip took about 12 hours from Columbus. I went with my friend Kayla who bravely drove the whole way to Florida. This trip was so exciting for me because I have never really gone far from Maryland. The first day we got there the beach was so beautiful even though it was a little chilly. I had a blast during my first trip to Florida. I got to try a lot of local restaurants and meet a lot of  new people. We met a lot of fellow Buckeyes down there and people from Southern Missouri University. The people we met really made Spring Break a fun time. I commemorated my first time in Florida and seeing a palm tree by getting a tattoo of a palm tree and waves.

Arabic Language Club

My Second year project involved taking on a leadership position in the student organization in which I am involved. I am the Co-President and soon to be President when the other Co-President graduates this semester. We are a new club this year so it was a learning experience for everyone. As a part of the club leadership, I lead group discussion, run meetings, club administration: making social media posts, reserve rooms, manage club attendance, identify weekly meeting topics for discussion. Unlike the more uncommon languages taught at OSU, Arabic doesn’t have a round-table for students to practice their speaking. So, this club has given me the opportunity to practice in an informal setting. I have seen some substantial growth with my Arabic skills. Personally, Arabic club has made me love the Arabic language more. I incorporate Arabic into my daily life by listening to Arabic music and watching films in Arabic. I hope to travel around the Middle East so I can experience the culture first-hand. My favorite part of being President of this club was being able have fun while practicing my Arabic skills. The people that I have met and the opportunities that have been presented to me through the club are absolutely amazing and I am very greatful.