Growing up in Egypt, I knew going to architecture school wouldn't come true. Since the culture is gender bias, men overpower women in every aspect of life. Women in the Middle East fight to become architects, engineers, or even structure managers. 

Now that I have the opportunity to live in the U.S, I feel obligated to help empower women all over the world. Women who live in the Middle East can’t think of becoming architects. 

The culture believes that only men can do such a manly job. I hope that by sharing my personal experience, I will prove them wrong. I hope that one day we can break the stereotype against women in the field of architecture and engineering. I am writing to every woman who wants to be an architect in the Middle East, never give up on your dreams.

I grew up in Egypt thinking I will never make it to architecture school.  I almost gave up on my dream until I read this verse in the bible “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible to you” (Matthew 17:20). After I read this, I believed that it would happen because God is with me and nothing is impossible for him. 

Guess what! God heard my prayers. I am one of few women in Egypt who had the opportunity to move to the U.S. I moved to the U.S when I was 16 years old. Fast Forward 4 years later, I got into my dream school, the school of architecture. I always believe that prayers will come true. However, you still need to work hard and learn to have faith, to be able to get to where you want to be. I have always put my passion as my goal. I had to work hard to overcome the language barrier and learn through research, readings, watching tutorials, and always ask when I don’t know. 

Architecture school has taught me to grow as an architect and as a person. It taught me to expand my creativity in every way, shape, and form. As a second-year architectural student, I can say that architecture school is also about friendships, staying up all night to work on projects. It’s about the moment of happiness when our projects are done and the moment of helping others finish their project too. I like the learning process because when I work with partners, we are willing to accept common ideas, and because we work together, we make the best collaborative work. 

I learned that nothing is easy, especially when it comes to something you want to achieve. what I have been through wasn’t easy, it was just the path to get me where I need to be.  

I have learned that being a woman won’t limit me from reaching my goals. No matter what they will say to stop you, just keep going. 

Women all over the world! You can be an architect, an engineer, or anything you want even if you’re in the Middle East, if Zaha Hadid made it you can also make it. 

Set goals and believe in yourself; your hard work will help you achieve your goals.