The train started to move. I felt afraid, I do not know what will happen to me after 18 hours, but all I know, it is my own decision. Last year, I decided to leave my Faculty of Law in Alexandria, where I was a junior, to be a new student in the Faculty of Arts, Public Relations Department, in Aswan. Taking this risk, was increasing my leadership abilities, adapting to a new community, and influenced others.
I believe in education for sustainable development through extracurricular activities. For that, I participate as a member of a committee, in extracurricular activities to learn new skills, and influenced others. For example, through my participation on a Public Relation committee in a Model called Moic’18 “Model organization of Islamic Co-operation “. I have learned to be a person who can lead, making deals, and decisions. Based on that, in the following year, I choose to be a giver and a leader.
For that, I was chief of the Public Relations committee of Moic 19, during this Model, one of my objectives was to empower young leaders in Public relations. Thus, I gave them training for one month, about how to write a proposal, make deals, and how to use tools as SWOT analysis. By the end of the Model, I got deeply into my Leadership abilities, I discovered my passion, and which field I am talented in. For that, I have taken the risk and changed my college to studying Public Relations.
In my first year as a new student, I started to face some challenges. These were the weather and different culture shocks. In the background, I was a volunteer with Syrian refugees, who moved from Syria to Egypt. This experience has given me the strength to be a person who can adapt to different mindsets quickly. In a short time, I built networks with my colleagues and roommates. Also, I participated in different club activities in the university such as the Developer student club as a Public Relations member. Through my participation in differents clubs helped me to know more about the culture in Aswan as the Nubian music. At the end of the year, the final results of college came out, I was ranked as the 4th. When I saw the result, I was so proud of myself for taking this risk, not only for my academic grades but also for my ability to adapt and influence in this new community.
Being in the UGRAD would help me develop my professional skills by taking specific courses, building a connection with my professors and colleagues, which would help me to ripen my understanding of the field I am passionate about. Also, I believe that being selected as a UGRAD student will increase my self-awareness and self-esteem. For instance, participating in community service will give me a chance to learn about new cultures, sharing my own, and will get me involved, survive, and adapt on the university campus.
Ultimately, I would like when I return to complete my education with an excellent GPA to help me in my Master’s degree when I graduate. Moreover, I will participate in Undergraduate research in Public Relation. Also, I would stand beside my colleagues to pass along my knowledge and experience with them when I was on the UGRAD campus.
In conclusion, when I took a train, and I left my home city to study what I want. I was worried about the new community. Notwithstanding, while staying in Aswan, I learned that the travel experience is not only about academic achievements but also about building new networks and know more about the life perspective by learning about different cultures. Based on my experience, I believe that being a UGrad student will expand my self-development in many aspects as Educational and communications skills.
In 2014, I started to be an active person in the community, and I believed in social impact. For that, I participated in many civil work activities as the Stock Market Simulation project and Egyptian Diplomatic Project. In that time, I worked on my personality, skills and expanded my networks. Also, I have got a scholarship called the “Access pipeline program”. Moreover, I started planning for my future, but there is something that happened I never expected.
One day, I felt something wrong with the shape of my breast. For that, I did concentric circles in my both breast. I found a small hard lump that was like a ball. I was shocked. In next day, I went to a doctor to examine me and did an ultrasound. The result showed that I have a “Complex Fibroadenoma” type of non-cancerous tumor. During that time, I did an operation to remove the tumor, but it returned. At that time, my mother warned me and emphasized that I should not let anyone knowing about my illness. I was struggling and felt ashamed. I have started withdrawing from many volunteer activities and taking steps back from my social life, I was closed to myself. Moreover, I have delayed screening tests because of my feelings of shame and fear.
Two years later, the tumor was growing crazy with an acuted, and I cannot take my breath because my breast was so heavy. That time was so serious. I was confused, I did a biopsy. When results came out, the doctor told me that I have a slight risk of developing breast cancer. For that, it ended by did the second operation. When I did the surgery, and I was a fusion in the treatment. I figured out, because of my lack of knowledge, I delayed my screening test. So, that put me at risk of having breast cancer. Depend on this, I started to increase my knowledge, about my health condition, so I read a lot of articles about benign breast conditions and cancer tumors. Based on that, I decided to accept this tumor. Would not let my fear of that tumor affected my plans, life, or even decided my future. Moreover, I decided to raise awareness among other women.
Accordingly, I got an internship in SEO search engine optimization. During the internship, I started to speak up with my colleagues. I helped them to be aware of their health and how to examine themself by concentric circles. A day later, one of my colleagues told me that she found something in her breast. I comforted her and encouraged her to see a doctor. Unexpectedly, her results came out that she has breast cancer. It was a hard time, but I felt happier because I saved a human life. From this situation, I believed helping others what makes us human beings and gave us a satisfying feeling. I never expected that when I shared my experience through this tumor and how I discovered It. I will save the life of someone else. For that, I believe that I can save more lives by sharing my experiences.
In Conclusion, my personality was affected a lot by that tumor in my breast. Having a struggle with physical health, not always is a bad thing. It taught me to have more confidence, patient. Also, I learned to take things simply, feel for others and appreciate their pain and dreams. Also, it’s increasing my positivity and helping other people.
