One of our impressive scholars, Merehan Mostafa, recently graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business (with a specialized concentration in Marketing), and a Bachelor of Arts with dual majors in Political Science and International Relations, the only graduating triple major of her class, from the University of Rochester. During her senior year, Merehan was recognized as an exceptional student as she was elected into Phi Beta Kappa, America’s oldest and most prestigious honor society. This accomplishment is only awarded to the top 120 students of the graduating class each year. This achievement reflects the level of true dedication Merehan puts into her education, revealing an impressive work ethic. Merehan reflects proudly on the highlight of her senior year as being selected to sit on the Senior Giving Committee. As part of this leadership organization of senior class members, Merehan showed commitment to her community as she helped educate her classmates on the importance of giving back to areas of the campus that mattered most, such as student organizations and scholarship funds. The fact that this is her proudest moment shows how community oriented Merehan is as a scholar, hoping to continuously contribute to the betterment of any community she is in.

As she looks back on her college experience, one of Merehan’s highlights was being selected as the student speaker for the annual TEDx conference in front of 500 attendees. Her talk, about the “Power of Living in the Now,” focused on spreading a message of hope and urged listeners to take advantage of the present moment by celebrating all the moments of impact in our lives, no matter how small or brief they may seem. Merehan appreciated the opportunity to carefully curate, magnify, and develop her ideas into a meaningful talk that resonated with her classmates and other attendees, and she is happy to be part of a select group of TEDx speakers around the world.

Having graduated with a triple major, Merehan hopes her degrees will secure a job at the Ministry of Investment and International Cooperation, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, or an international organization like the United Nations in Egypt. Merehan wants to dedicate her efforts to promoting women’s rights and encouraging intersectional gender outlooks. She wants to raise awareness on the importance of gender equality in politics and business and hopes to break down barriers surrounding women’s involvement in such areas. Merehan states that she selected these majors because they equip her with the necessary skills and foundational knowledge needed to pursue such multi-faceted career paths; she hopes that she will be ready to take on the job market soon.

Merehan recognizes the role that DFL played in her success story. She explains that DFL opened the door for her towards opportunity and success and supported her in pursuing her dreams by helping her stay focused and optimistic. Being a DFL scholar demanded that she consistently make the most of every opportunity so that she may be in the best position to enact positive change in her community back in her home country, Egypt. When thinking of DFL, Merehan is filled with a sense of gratitude for their continuous support and motivation. She feels fortunate to be part of the DFL family and will continue to help create better futures. Finally, Merehan hopes to inspire girls in the Middle East to start believing in themselves and follow their passions and dreams. She advises them not to be afraid of stepping out of their comfort zone, as it is worth it to learn more about themselves and their career aspirations. We are very proud of Merehan as she sets the standards high for our scholars.