Helping people who really need it has always been something I've done. On the playground in kindergarten when there was one kid didn't have a friend to play with, they became my new best friend. Being there for people is so important to me. My major right now is Political Science, so whether I go into Law or Politics, there are so many opportunities for me to help the less fortunate. If I decide to become a lawyer, I can take on pro bono cases for clients who have been abused by the system, but can't afford the help. It's not easy to hear stories of people who have been hurt, but it's a privilege for me to look away. The people experiencing unfairness and injustice of the world don't have that opportunity, so it's my job, especially as a Palestinian Muslim woman, to speak up for these people that don't have their own voice. If I go into Politics and become, say, a Policy Analyst, I can look at how certain policies would affect the less fortunate and veto them if it's negative. I would be able to create laws and policies that would help these people have a more fair hand at life. My personal experiences as a Palestinian-American have definitely made me angry at the way the world treats minorities, as though they're expendable, like their lives don't matter. In 2024, I watched when South Africa accused Israel of war crimes they were committing against innocent Palestinian people at the Hague. I remember feeling so proud and happy that someone was finally standing up for my people and giving them a voice. Then I remember feeling angry but not surprised that the Court acknowledged that maybe Israel was committing war crimes, but they didn't demand a ceasefire. I was also not surprised when Israel continued their genocide against the Palestinians, despite being taken to court for what they do. Watching that trial made me realize that going into Political Science was the right choice for me, and I needed to do whatever I could to ensure justice for everyone, not just those that I feel like deserve it. The most obvious historic event about Palestine that I know if is the 1948 Nakba, or catastrophe, where 750,000 Palestinians had to leave their homes when the European Jews took over after World War ii. My great-grandparents had to flee their homes because of it. One of them even went into early labor because of the stress and had to give birth in a concentration camp. I also know about Mahmoud Darwish, a famous Palestinian poet who wrote multiple poems that are used today to describe what Palestinians are going through at the hands of Israel. They're also one of the largest contributors of olive oil to the world, with olive trees originating in Palestine.