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Lost and Found: A University Student’s Journey

By: Nesrien Abdelkader

@NesrienAshraf

Psychology senior Amina El Kerdani will look back on her university experience as one of exploration, growth and change.

The graduating senior said four years of campus life have been transformative and helped her find self-confidence to chart the course ahead.

“It’s just different when you reach a point where you feel like you don’t have to apologize for who you are or what you are,” El Kerdani said.

Like most freshmen, El Kerdani had trouble expressing herself and making friends.

“I was super shy and in my own little box, or bubble. I just wasn’t the type of person to go up and just say hi to people or approach them,” she said.

It was through finding her place and making friends in classes and extra-curricular clubs that El Kerdani was able to come out of her shell and become the person she wanted to be.

She explained that she started off her journey at AUC as a lost freshman, unsure of her major as she switched from business to graphic design before finally settling on psychology.

Her friend Toka Elhamzawy, Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) senior, said that El Kerdani at first disliked psychology.

“She had told me this story about taking a psychology course in high school. It wasn’t going well and she wasn’t enjoying it at all. I found it funny because now she’s graduating with a bachelor’s in psychology,” she said.

El Kerdani ended up gravitating toward a future career in psychology after the Center for Student Well-being supported her through a difficult time.

“My parents got divorced and things were a bit messy. I was already in psychology by then and just the atmosphere was so comforting. All of your professors are so considerate, and I went to see one of them in the counseling center. That was sort of a turning point for me,” El Kerdani said.

El Kerdani said that her parents’ divorce was the most stressful thing she had faced up to that point in her life.

“I was personally impacted by that experience. It made me realize that I wanted to do psychology. The counseling center specifically shaped me, or added to my ability to be more comfortable with myself,” she said.

Now, she wants to build on that experience and help others overcome difficult chapters in their lives.

“I know it sounds a bit cliche, but what I’ve always wanted to do since I was young was to become a doctor, lawyer or something that will help other people,” she said, adding that she plans on getting her master’s degree in psychology right after graduation so she can begin practicing.

El Kerdani’s friends told The Caravan that she is known in their circles as the one most eager to help others.

“Amina is one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met honestly. She has such a big heart. She likes to be on good terms with everyone and make sure everything is at peace,” Elhamzawy said.

Elhamzaway added that although their relationship was a bit guarded at first, the closer she gets to El Kerdani, the more she realizes how genuine of a person she is.

Mariam Ibrahim, English and Comparative Literature and IMC senior said that she admired El Kerdani’s ability to balance her social life, while still devoting herself to her studies and extracurriculars, such as being Head of HR in the Psychology Association.

“She’s honestly such a ray of sunshine. She’s so optimistic about everything and she’s so in control of everything she’s doing. She’s going to be so incredibly missed. I’ve never seen someone so happy that treats everyone so kindly even when she’s having a terrible day,” she said.

El Kerdani’s time at AUC and the friendships she has created have impacted her in ways that she never expected.

“In the beginning, I was just never comfortable in my own skin. Now regardless of whatever happens or who I encounter, I’m happy with where I am in life. As long as I came out with that, I feel like that’s more than I could have hoped for besides the bachelor’s degree at least – that’s pretty good too,” El Kerdani said.