What is your concentration and what kind of courses does that entail?
I recently confirmed that I was going to specialize in NELC (Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations) and am thinking about joining this with History. The courses I love are those that try to understand history through the eyes of those who lived it. In many of my classes, we look at wonderful accounts from an array of Middle Eastern authors who discuss the history of their countries, families, and often themselves too. While the political and economic factors often loom present, the authors always retain the immensely personal components of history; they emphasize that no matter how active the political sphere or how severe the economic circumstances, our lives are never dominated by one perspective. We still crave good food, love and argue with our mothers, tease our friends and struggle with relationships. Reading history this way makes it so much richer and relatable.
 
How did you decide on this study path?
I first started to read more into the field when I would go to the houses of high school friends. A large number either grew up in the Middle East or had parents from the region. I felt ignorant that I knew so little about the places they had grown up in and the events that had shaped their countries. The more I read, the more I realized just how large a disparity there was between the image I had seen growing up and the dynamic reality of Middle Eastern history. 
 
What kinds of things are you interested in learning more about?
One of my particular interests is seeing how history is written, who writes it, and why it is written as such. When we read history books, we so rarely ask the question of what is in the archive. In my eyes, history should be away to piece together the past by bringing together every story we can. The problem comes when only certain stories are recorded and others are deliberately kept from us. Whole sides of history are lost from the collective memory; reclaiming and embracing this past is what I want to do.
 
Has there been anything that really shocked or surprised you as you've begun to dig deeper into your studies?
While I was not wholly surprised at its absence in my history textbooks, the role played by British, American, Soviet, French and Israeli intervention was a factor that I had never truly appreciated in terms of its scope. At the same time, I've come to appreciate how events can never be read solely through the lens of superpowers' strategies. 
 
Hardly surprising either, yet still frequent in anyone's newsfeed, the vast gap between the reality of diverse communities and the portrayal of a 'trapped-in-the-past' region becomes even more shocking after studying in detail the endless political, artistic, cultural movements and leaders that fill the region's history.
 
What kinds of things do you want to do at Harvard to further your studies and understanding?
In my time Harvard, I want to spend time pulling together the vast collection of stories of individuals throughout the Middle East. Not only this, I want these stories to be within reach of anyone who is proud of their heritage and wants to glimpse into the wide array of characters that make up the history of their home. The gift of storytelling is something I too hope to master in the next couple of years and while I am unsure as to the exact area or time period that I want to focus on, I do know that I want my approach to be personal at heart. 
 
Do you have an idea of a future career path? What options might you explore?
I wish I had a good answer to this! Albeit a crazy dream, I'd love to see a generation of story tellers.