Statuses

I’m Here!

The picture above is the view from the highest floor of the gymnasium of Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane.

I’m finally in Morocco!

I arrived on August 23rd, and it’s been a very exciting several days. I’ve met countless other fellow international students and went shopping at the local “marché.” A couple friends and I also explored the local park, which also had some individual vendors with a variety of jewelry, decor, and home goods.

I’m anticipating many more adventures to come!

Study Abroad Scholarship

I thought I couldn’t get more excited. Alas, I was wrong. Yesterday I received an email stating that I was selected to receive UT’s College of Liberal Arts Study Abroad Exchange Scholarship! It won’t take care of every dollar I need for the program, but it will certainly help a lot. I will be posting highlights of my experience in Morocco beginning in August, accompanied by shots taken with my Nikon. Stay tuned!

I will miss having a president I love and admire. Yes, my heart is heavy but my resolve is hardening. The coming years might challenge the strength of our shared values of freedom and democracy but they should also prove our resilience as Americans, as advocates of the universal rights of human beings to live and pursue happiness. The challenges we face should not to be feared, but anticipated and prepared for. If it doesn’t scare us, it won’t strengthen us.

Murchison

When I moved back to Austin to attend the University of Texas I visited the middle school I attended during my first years in America, Murchison. The memories I have of that time are anything but pleasant, for I couldn’t speak English, stood out like a sore thumb (with my foreign clothes and hijab), and I had 0 friends or acquaintances to spend the lunch hour with. I knew I was different. Continue reading Murchison