People always ask me, “WHYYY would you want to live in the Middle East??” My retort has become, “Because I love sand.” But, in reality, I love it all, I think the Middle East is amazing, and I hope this blog will help you to understand why I feel this way.

***********************************************************************************************************************************

It all began with a cumpulsory course at UCLA. I was required to take Islamic Art History to earn my Art History degree. It was all over from there. I spent a semester in Turkey, imbibing sights I had previously only seen in text books, and falling deeper under the spell of Islamic culture.

After graduation, I worked in the Art industry for a few years. It got stale, I quit, pivoted, and then moved from San Francisco to South Carolina.

The International MBA program at the Moore School was singing my name. Here, I completed the Arabic Track, and spent a year studying Arabic in Morocco, Jordan, and Lebanon. My concentration in Entrepreneurship allowed me to write a master’s thesis (Economic Opportunities in the Middle East and North Africa Post-Arab Spring: How Cultural Understanding Informs Strategy), and to create my blog.

WIth the blog, I am particularly interested in positively influencing perceptions of the MENA region to encourage engagement and investment.

I hope to pursue this passion throughout my career as well.

***********************************************************************************************************************************

The Moore School of Business: http://mooreschool.sc.edu