Our Students
Scholars
Lameese Ahmad
Major: Arabic Language & Literature
Joined AFP: Fall 2010
Academic Interest: Arabic, Middle Eastern Studies, the Bible and its History
Career Goal: Lameese’s goal is to get a Masters degree in Arabic and become a translator.
Hobbies: Tennis, playing the flute, reading, jogging, watching movies.
Ayesha Akbar
Major: Journalism and Psychology
Joined AFP: Fall 2010
Academic Interest: Human Rights, Journalism, Medical Health and Counseling
Career Goal: Ayesha would like to work with women and children that have been victimized by trafficking and violence, and promote the importance of mental health and support systems in impoverished or conflict-prone areas. She would like to be able to write for the people of the Middle East and South Asia, in order to promote human rights, religious tolerance, psychological health, and education.
Hobbies: Traveling, discussing politics, advocating human rights, learning languages, writing satire, and practicing Islam
Muhammad Irfan Akbar
Major: History and Religious Studies
Joined AFP: Spring 2010
Academic Interest: Indian Religions, History of the Middle East and India
Career Goal: Teaching, government service, foreign service, or military service.
Dounya Alami-Nassif
Major: Government, International Relations and Global Studies
Joined AFP: Spring 2013
Academic Interest: Imperial history, postcolonial studies and theory, cultural studies, alternative historiographies, diaspora studies, narratives of exile, aesthetics and politics, comparative literature, translation studies and theory, cross-cultural narratives, gender studies.
Career goal: Considering international policy analysis, international law, and research of the arbitration of identities reflected through cultural constructions in the disjunctures and junctures of contact zones within Morocco or Lebanon — current aspirant of using a collective academic background to pursue research interests at the doctoral level and beyond.
Hobbies: Researching and ranting — admirer of literary theory; planetariums; international cinema, music, literature, and other mediums of discourse.
Adam Amrani
Major: English/UTeach
Joined AFP: Spring 2012
Academic Interest: I’m interested in surrealist literature as well as victorian literature that influenced the modernist period. I enjoy studying Arabic, and I love new vocabulary!
Career goal: I’d like to teach English and Arabic at a high school level before entering graduate school. Eventually, I’d like to either work in academia or in educational policy.
Hobbies: Playing instruments, riding my bike, browsing the internet, cooking, reading, and blogging.
Nicole Beittenmiller
Major: International Relations and History
Joined AFP: Spring 2013
Academic Interest: Middle Eastern Studies, International Security, History of Globalization
Career goal: Still unsure, probably something with the US Government
Hobbies: Polo, Theater, Soccer, Reading
Sophia Belazi
Major: Finance
Joined AFP: Spring 2013
Academic Interest: International Business and Finance, Arabic Language
and Culture
Career goal: I aspire to achieve many different goals in my future
career. I am interested in business relations between Middle Eastern
countries and the United States. I would love to act as a translator and
a financial advisor between Middle Eastern and American corporations.
Another avenue I wish to explore is the prospect of working for the
government.
Hobbies: Running, writing, reading, spending time with friends, and
Psychology
Tarek Benchouia
Major: Government and Arabic
Joined AFP: Fall 2010
Academic Interest: Arabic Language and Literature, Middle Eastern History, Society, and Politics
Career Goal: Ideally, Tarek hopes his career will have something to do with the Arabic language. Currently, he plans to pursue academia and get a PhD in Middle Eastern Studies.
Hobbies: Music, soccer, being with friends and family, learning, and traveling
Barbara Borodziewicz
Major: Plan II Honors and French major
Joined AFP: Spring 2009
Academic Interest: Languages (Arabic and French), international relations/studies (Africa and the Middle East)
Career Goal: Barbara hopes to use her background and skills to work with immigrants’ rights and human rights as a lawyer. After graduating she plans to apply to graduate law programs and hopes to work with marginalized populations in the West especially coming from African and Middle Eastern countries.
Hobbies: Barbara’s hobbies include reading, journaling, painting, backpacking and tennis.
Brett Bowman
Major: Middle Eastern Studies and Government
Joined AFP: Spring 2011
Academic Interest: Middle Eastern languages, history of minorities in the Middle East, cultural geography
Career goal: I hope to work in academia or make use of my language skills in humanitarian efforts
Hobbies: Arabic, comedy, social networking