Growing up, I never felt like I belonged. With my blue eyes, straight blond hair, and pale skin, I looked like the majority of my peers, neighbors, and my mom’s Norwegian family. However, when I would spend time with my dad’s Tunisian family, I realized that I was very different. I envied their dark brown, tight curly hair, their big brown eyes, and their olive skin tones. When we would go to my Aunt and Uncle’s house to celebrate the Islamic holidays of Ramadan or Eid, the house would be filled with the sounds of the Oud and Rabab, common in Arab music. It felt like every North African in the state was there. Strong, flavorful spices would fill the air and make my stomach growl for the food that would have to wait until sundown to be consumed. Loud laughter and Arabic voices would talk over each other, telling animated stories and jokes. And while their laughter was the same as mine, their language wasn’t. Partygoers would speak to my cousins, who were fluent in Arabic, and they would reply with words I longed to understand. My young tastebuds weren’t familiar with lamb or tagine, so instead I would fill myself up with the “kids” option of pizza, prepared specially for me. I yearned for the palate that would entice me to eat the feasts that lay before me. I would leave these family gatherings feeling like I didn’t belong and resenting my mom’s side of the family, who made me so different. I yearned to feel whole. As my young, wishful self matured, things began to change for me. My straight blond hair began to darken and curl. My blue eyes turned to a dark hazel. My pale skin darkened. But more importantly, inwardly, my thirst for understanding who I was deepened. I took an active role in discovering my heritage. I learned about the history of Tunisia and discovered that the Tunisian language is a mixture of Arabic and French, so I enrolled in French classes. After becoming proficient in French, I could now speak with my family overseas. I call my Grandfather and Grandmother weekly. I accompany my dad to his Tunisian hair salon in the more culturally diverse part of town, where they know how to cut our curly hair. Afterwards, he takes me to the Middle Eastern coffee shops where we play cards. I’ve even tried the hookah, choking and coughing to the great enjoyment of the other patrons. I’ve developed a love for Mediterranean cuisine. Now, I rarely eat anything without adding a little harissa. As a nearly grown man, through becoming more aware of the world around me, the world beyond me, and the headlines, I’ve realized that there are so many people in this world who feel unaccepted for their differences. Whether it’s their race, culture, gender, sexual identity or preferences, etc., our differences are what make us human. As a young child, I wanted to be Tunisian; I wanted to be like my family. I didn’t understand that I was just like them. There will always be more to learn about myself; who I am, who others are, and how we all fit together, and that’s exciting to me! I might not yet be able to speak Arabic, and it is likely that nobody will ever be able to pronounce my last name, but through accepting others I learned to accept myself. Through educating myself and exploring and immersing myself in other cultures, I was able to feel like I belong. I am a Tunisian-American, and that is enough.

My passion for STEM stems from my desire to use my knowledge and abilities to help everyone that I possibly can, no matter how grand or miniscule the scale. I hope to study biology and/or chemistry and go to medical school. I want to use my abilities to improve the lives of people and alleviate the ailments of my future patients. Along the way, I hope to use my undergrad and graduate research to investigate the impacts of heavy metal pollution on humans and organisms alike, and I hope to be able to contribute to the knowledge of how our future as a species may be impacted by heavy metals. My passion lies within exploring a particular area and becoming an expert in it, which is why I want to focus my research into heavy metals and their effects. I grew into this mindset through while reading Meditations by Marcus Aurelius. It’s the personal journals of the Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius that were translated and combined into a book. Themes of stoicism, struggling with power, and imposter syndrome highlight the book, and through discovering Aurelius’ outlook on life, I was moved and it changed my worldview. It taught me that no matter how rich or powerful you become, you will only be remembered for how you impacted the lives of others, which is one of the reasons I want to use my knowledge for the good of society. That being said, the road to achieve this won’t be easy. I’ll be a first generation college graduate so I don’t have the guidance of my parents to tell me how to handle college. My father immigrated to the United States from Northern Africa in his early 20s and my mother grew up in the foster care system so they never learned how to save money, how to persue higher education, and as a result they weren’t able to pass those lessons on to me. The financial burden of college and graduate school will fall solely on me; but having said that, I’m not only ready, but excited for all the challenges that will follow me into my future. I know that if anyone can accomplish all that I want to, it’s me. This scholarship would assist me in the finances associated with the University of Michigan, so that I can spend less time paying for college and more time perfecting my craft so that I can achieve my full academic potential. Chemistry is my passion, and biology is a close second, so it makes sense to find a way to combine those two passions into something that can be for the greater good of society. Through my STEM carrer, I hope to do 3 things: become proficient in the fields of biology and chemistry, conduct research that will contribute to the betterment of society, and become an MD so that my life can be dedicated to helping those around me.