So, yes: accomplished, well-rounded, busy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Having the opportunity to pursue such a full plate was the plan when choosing NC State. The full circle part of her story, though, has revealed itself as these experiences helped her think more about connecting her skills and passions with personal and professional growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Al Samara, who is from Raleigh by way of Homs, Syria, was encouraged by her family to consider a career in medicine \u2014 something she thought about but wasn\u2019t committed to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI wanted to go somewhere where I was going to be supported in my academic and personal growth,\u201d Al Samara said. \u201cBeing a first-generation college student, I didn\u2019t really know what I wanted to do. At NC State, there were options I could explore.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She found out about NC State\u2019s Park Scholarships program from a fellow Millbrook High School classmate and had only heard of one other student at the school who received the scholarship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Learning she would join the program was an emotional experience. \u201cI knew that it was my only path to be able to go to college, and for it to be somewhere so close to my family was really exciting,\u201d Al Samara said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Park Scholarships program offers students a range of opportunities to grow and learn, like leadership academies and volunteer experiences. It was being a Park Ambassador that led to one of Al Samara\u2019s full-circle moments. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMy most impactful experiences have come from volunteering,\u201d she said. She particularly enjoyed participating in finalists\u2019 weekend for future Park Scholars. \u201cIt\u2019s such an inspiring thing to see all of the high school students who were in a position that I was in and hearing the amazing things they\u2019re doing.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Because of her own pathway, Al Samara is aware that getting to that finalists\u2019 weekend starts with simply knowing about the program to begin with \u2014 another opportunity being a Park Ambassador afforded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe go and talk about the Park Scholarships program at different high schools, especially in underserved areas. I was able to follow what my classmate did to apply to the program, but had I not had that exposure, it would have been a lot more difficult. Visiting these schools was so meaningful,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While she was helping future college students consider their options, Al Samara was also exploring as many of her own as she could.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She shadowed local doctors and secured an internship with a professor at UNC\u2019s Gillings School of Public Health normally geared toward graduate students. She also worked at the Libraries\u2019 Making Space event series. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Park Scholarships program isn\u2019t the only way private support has helped Al Samara make the most of her NC State experience. She studied abroad in Iceland through the Chancellor\u2019s Study Abroad program, which is supported by the University\u2019s Greatest Needs Fund. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAll of these experiences really helped shape the way that I view the world, but also the way I view myself and how confident I am,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"Loujain](\"https:\/\/news.giving.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2022\/05\/IMG_4627-scaled-e1651865996429.jpeg\")
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