I wanted to learn about and connect with people and places that were seemingly different to me.
As a result of my upbringing, I sought a college major where I could pursue these interests. I decided to study Global Studies (with a focus on the Middle East) and Supply Chain and Operations Management. The Supply Chain and Ops decision was a result of my long-term desire to manage projects, learn about businesses, work for an international business, and possibly open my own business one day. I decided to focus on the Middle East in part because I have an uncle who is originally from Morocco. I grew up learning about the food he likes to cook, the experiences he had as a child, and his transition to living in the U.S. When deciding my major there was also a lot of negative media coverage on the Middle East. These experiences and observations were the reasons why I decided to focus on the Middle East and start studying Arabic.
During college, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to study abroad in Amman, Jordan. I absolutely loved my time abroad and learned more than I ever though I would about the Middle East, the Arabic language, and the complex, beautiful culture. I made lifelong friendships with my host family, fellow American students, Syrians, Palestinians and Jordanians.
Flash forward to my graduation from the University of Minnesota in 2017. Post-graduation I started working in supply chain at Land O’Lakes, Inc. I loved my job and the opportunity to learn more about supply chain in the professional environment, but knew that I wanted to return to work and live in the Middle East. So, I applied for the MENAR Fellowship. This fellowship connects recent college graduates with organizations in the Middle East and North Africa.
