It’s been 21 years since I last set foot in my university, and setting foot in it again for the 25 years silver jubilee reunion brought back many bitter sweet memories. I returned to the university for the reunion while having a daughter the same age I was when I first set foot in it 21 years ago, how time flies..! The granite floors that were once shiny and slippery were now cracked and uneven, the college buildings however still stood tall with their grand columns and the flashing center main building which was adorned by lights and laser beams for the festive occasion… it was all so spectacular and nostalgic at the same time. My mind took me back to my first day in uni. I was the age of my daughter now, a wide eyed teenager, still a child at heart, I remember wearing a red summer dress with tiny white flowers printed on it, my hair tied up in a pony tail and in my hand I clutched a notebook with pens and pencils stuffed in my handbag. My father dropped me off and as I waved him goodbye I walked hesitantly towards the center building where all the new freshmen were summoned for orientation. There, I greeted my childhood friend Moza and my other childhood friend Shayma, they were the only 2 girls I knew at the time attending AUS with me. The professor in charge of orientation ended his welcoming speech to us freshmen and pointed us towards the different colleges we were supposed to go to. This was where the journey began… and standing there made it all feel like yesterday.

College was an initiation period shaping me from a young girl to a young adult. The education wasn’t just from the textbooks but from college life a well. I’ve formed lasting friendships with both students and professors as they were and continue to be like family to me. Sure there were the challenging days and the challenging courses but they only built in me resilience and perseverance. I was determined to do well and I remember how in the classes I enjoyed like history of western art and psychology I sat attentively grasping every detail the professors were teaching. I remember I aced those classes and was placed on the deans honor’s list twice. I remember the canteen and the table I sat on with all my close friends I remember how thrilled we were at the Starbucks that opened near the colleges. I remember the gigantic art studios and the endless late hours I stayed after school trying to finish drawing a still life or building a model. To all those great memories and more I say thank you to the American University of Sharjah and to its founding father His Highness Sheikh Sultan Al Qassimi. Sheikh Sultan continues to inspire and implement great educational institutes and opportunities in all of Sharjah and it makes me proud to be part of a city that promotes such excellence. It is no wonder Sharjah is a cultural hub for educational excellence and pioneering it is the American University of Sharjah. Today I aspire to have my daughter enter AUS and to have the same amazing opportunities I had there. I have no doubt the university will shape her into the best version of herself as it did with me. Thank you my AUS and go class of 2002!