I dream of the day Middle Eastern children and children worldwide wake up to the sounds of birds rather than bombs. The displacement of my homeland saved my life without even knowing it. Never having been to Iraq due to instability and conflict, I felt a disconnect between my culture and who I was. When my father faced persecution for voicing his opinion regarding the governance at the time, he risked putting his life in danger to advocate for what he firmly believed in. My parents had sold everything they had owned in the Middle East to arrive in America. My parent's sacrifices are the reason I can write this paper right now. Because I live in the beacon of liberty and democratic principles, I can do things such as present a broadcasted speech on CSPAN and volunteer as a Congressional volunteer fellow. I recognize my privilege because had UNICEF not accepted my parents’ plea for asylum, I would not be here today. As a person of Middle Eastern descent, international and global affairs has shaped much of my life. Only in America can a poor brown woman born to a family of refugees set foot on capitol hill and present a winning speech to be broadcasted on CSPAN. In addition to advocating for women’s rights, I lead the Aurora University pre-law student association, and Aurora University’s business honor society Delta Mu Delta. I have also completed a immersive legal internship PLUS program with the Illinois Institute of Technology in summer of 2022. I also worked as a legislative intern at a State Representative office in Illinois. What I would gain personally by attending is paving the way for my family as a first-generation college student. By interning with TFAS, I can gain more excellent knowledge on international relations that I will apply to my future career endeavors. Coming from a low-income family of immigrants, networking opportunities are minimal for me. By professionally attending TFAS, I can offer a unique and diverse perspective on international relations. My individual circumstances as a refugee and immigrant and how I emerged from the pain and trauma can show a perspective on international relations from someone who has first-hand endured global conflict. Participating in TFAS has been my dream since I began studying Political Science at Aurora University. I would hate for finances to get in the way of achieving this dream. Because my mother is a single mother and disabled I cannot ask my family for financial assistance. The TFAS international affairs academic internship program is my top internship placement program of choice because of the mentorship that is provided and the site placement. As a college graduate in May, I am seeking work in D.C. that aligns with my values and passions and I believe interning in D.C. with TFAS will assist me in doing so as a first-generation college student who is low-income and a daughter of immigrants. I believe in providing a voice to the voiceless and advocating for human rights as well as liberty and leadership. I am afraid that I will not be able to pay the balance remaining after the $4,000 assistance. Because I am a low-income, first-generation student, I am not able to take out additional loans because I am paying for college out of pocket.

I dream of the day Middle Eastern children and children worldwide wake up to the sounds of birds rather than bombs. The displacement of my homeland saved my life without even knowing it. Never having been to Iraq due to instability and conflict, I felt a disconnect between my culture and who I was. When my father faced persecution for voicing his opinion regarding the governance at the time, he risked putting his life in danger to advocate for what he firmly believed in. My parents had sold everything they had owned in the Middle East to arrive in America. My parent's sacrifices are the reason I can write this paper right now. Because I live in the beacon of liberty and democratic principles, I can do things such as present a broadcasted speech on CSPAN and volunteer as a Congressional volunteer fellow. I recognize my privilege because had UNICEF not accepted my parents’ plea for asylum, I would not be here today. As a person of Middle Eastern descent, international and global affairs has shaped much of my life. Only in America can a poor brown woman born to a family of refugees set foot on capitol hill and present a winning speech to be broadcasted on CSPAN. In addition to advocating for women’s rights, I lead the Aurora University pre-law student association, and Aurora University’s business honor society Delta Mu Delta. I have also completed a immersive legal internship PLUS program with the Illinois Institute of Technology in summer of 2022. I also worked as a legislative intern at a State Representative office in Illinois. What I would gain personally by attending is paving the way for my family as a first-generation college student. By interning with TFAS, I can gain more excellent knowledge on international relations that I will apply to my future career endeavors. Coming from a low-income family of immigrants, networking opportunities are minimal for me. By professionally attending TFAS, I can offer a unique and diverse perspective on international relations. My individual circumstances as a refugee and immigrant and how I emerged from the pain and trauma can show a perspective on international relations from someone who has first-hand endured global conflict. Participating in TFAS has been my dream since I began studying Political Science at Aurora University. I would hate for finances to get in the way of achieving this dream. Because my mother is a single mother and disabled I cannot ask my family for financial assistance. The TFAS international affairs academic internship program is my top internship placement program of choice because of the mentorship that is provided and the site placement. As a college graduate in May, I am seeking work in D.C. that aligns with my values and passions and I believe interning in D.C. with TFAS will assist me in doing so as a first-generation college student who is low-income and a daughter of immigrants. I believe in providing a voice to the voiceless and advocating for human rights as well as liberty and leadership. I am afraid that I will not be able to pay the balance remaining after the $4,000 assistance. Because I am a low-income, first-generation student, I am not able to take out additional loans because I am paying for college out of pocket.

I dream of the day Middle Eastern children and children worldwide wake up to the sounds of birds rather than bombs. The displacement of my homeland saved my life without even knowing it. Never having been to Iraq due to instability and conflict, I felt a disconnect between my culture and who I was. When my father faced persecution for voicing his opinion regarding the governance at the time, he risked putting his life in danger to advocate for what he firmly believed in. My parents had sold everything they had owned in the Middle East to arrive in America. My parent's sacrifices are the reason I can write this paper right now. Because I live in the beacon of liberty and democratic principles, I can do things such as present a broadcasted speech on CSPAN and volunteer as a Congressional volunteer fellow. I recognize my privilege because had UNICEF not accepted my parents’ plea for asylum, I would not be here today. As a person of Middle Eastern descent, international and global affairs has shaped much of my life. Only in America can a poor brown woman born to a family of refugees set foot on capitol hill and present a winning speech to be broadcasted on CSPAN. In addition to advocating for women’s rights, I lead the Aurora University pre-law student association, and Aurora University’s business honor society Delta Mu Delta. I have also completed a immersive legal internship PLUS program with the Illinois Institute of Technology in summer of 2022. I also worked as a legislative intern at a State Representative office in Illinois. What I would gain personally by attending is paving the way for my family as a first-generation college student. By interning with TFAS, I can gain more excellent knowledge on international relations that I will apply to my future career endeavors. Coming from a low-income family of immigrants, networking opportunities are minimal for me. By professionally attending TFAS, I can offer a unique and diverse perspective on international relations. My individual circumstances as a refugee and immigrant and how I emerged from the pain and trauma can show a perspective on international relations from someone who has first-hand endured global conflict. I want to attend TFAS and intern in D.C. and advocate for change but I must pay the $4,000 balance before May 28th of 2023. As a first-generation low-income student with a single disabled mother I cannot afford that amount I have always been passionate about change and I believe this will be an amazing opportunity for me. I do not want financial obstacles to prevent me from paving the way as an immigrant and advocating for change.