Where are you from and what were you doing before enrolling in graduate school?

I earned my BA in communications-public relations with a minor in international politics from California State University, Fullerton. After completing my undergraduate degree, I worked full-time for a year in a completely different industry, which helped me realize that I wanted to continue pursuing my education and was ultimately led to the MPD program at USC.

How did you learn of the degree program and why did you choose USC Annenberg?

Since childhood, my identity and background have been an integral part in how I view the world and my commitment to help change it. As the daughter of a Palestinian refugee and a Lebanese immigrant, my exposure to global politics and international discourse was intrinsic throughout my upbringing. During my time as an undergraduate student at Cal State Fullerton, I quickly realized that I wanted to work in the industry of public service, particularly in nongovernmental organizations. I became exposed to this type of work when I did an internship at World Relief, a non-profit organization that offers low-cost and legally accredited services to immigrants who seek naturalization and resources alike. My time at World Relief provided me the opportunity to utilize my background in communications and public relations, while also doing meaningful work in public service that truly fulfilled me. I had the honor to volunteer in a Citizenship Fair event that World Relief helped facilitate, and I was asked to interview attendees of the event who were there to utilize the services being offered- which included free citizenship applications. Their stories shared many of the themes that I feel are relevant to my identity, while also reinforcing the idea that these experiences are relevant to public diplomacy because of how they can influence policy and legislation on a domestic or international level. This experience, my identity as a Palestinian and Lebanese woman, and my undergraduate studies, impacted my professional and academic interests which led to my interest of studying public diplomacy at USC Annenberg. USC felt like an obvious choice for me, as the intersection of my public relations and international politics background harmoniously fit into what the MPD program at USC consists of.

What have you enjoyed the most about the degree program?

The MPD program has provided me invaluable development academically while connecting me with colleagues who have become great friends and professors who have become mentors. Additionally, I love that the MPD program is clearly structured for students to achieve ultimate success in and out of the classroom. The MPD program has positively changed my perspective on the intersection of communications and international relations and my overall perspective to the world. I am extremely happy with my decision to enroll in this program at USC.