My most memorable Brandeis experience?

I spent 2 months this Spring in Amman, Jordan (before Corona, of course), and on one of the last nights before leaving, I had a wonderful and fluent conversation with a taxi driver on a ride back to my apartment. It solidified for me how far I had come in my time studying Arabic. Brandeis gave me the tools for success in the language, and my time abroad activated it. One of my primary goals in studying Arabic was to be able to learn about and discuss the Arab-Israeli Conflict from the Arab perspective, in Arabic, and I finally achieved that! Granted, I've got a long way to go before I'm fluent, but to be able to see the results of all the hours of studying I put in over the years was incredibly rewarding. The man even complimented my accent, saying I spoke like a local!

My favorite activity outside of class is...

Rugby all the way. Rugby has become a family for me over the years, and I always look forward to the opportunity to tackle some people at the end of a long day. Whether it's practice, team dinner, or a casual game in the snow, I can't think of a better way to spend time than with my favorite ruggers.

My favorite Brandeis tradition is...

The Community Break Fast at Yom Kippur each year is my favorite way the Brandeis community comes together. I get to break my fast with all my friends, regardless of their observance, and the bagels are fantastic!

My favorite Brandeis class/professor is...

I love my Arabic classes with Professor El-Tobgui!

I'm passionate about...

I'm involved with...