Today we’d like to introduce you to Nour Haikal.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Nour. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
When I started college in 2016, I was the 1st generation daughter of two Syrian immigrants and a very timid and anxious girl who had underestimated herself in everything. Being bold was not something I thought I was capable of. That fall, the refugee crisis was at its peak, and as a Syrian, I was trying to find my purpose in America. That fall, with the help of my professors and peers, I helped co-found an initiative that teaches refugees in Houston English. After receiving major awards and thousands of dollars in grants, I realized that this is the sort of work that truly instills my life with purpose. Since the foundation of Project T.R.E.E., I went on to do other bold things—things I never thought little me could ever do. Things that have made me a passionate advocate of human rights and an ally of many marginalized populations. This passion is what drives me to want to attend law school. And It’s this passion that drives me to want to be bold—to be completely, utterly, and unapologetically myself. That’s also why I started to put myself more out there on Instagram and started blogging. I wanted to reach a larger demographic and wanted to help others grow and learn as I have and continue to do.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It definitely has not been a smooth road, but success is not linear, and without failures, success would not mean as much. My biggest advice is to keep preserving, do not allow the negativity to get to you, and to keep things into perspective.
Please tell us more about what you do, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
Currently, I am a student at the University of Houston and an aspiring lawyer. Along with being apart of multiple student organizations and initiatives, I like to tap into my creative side by blogging. Although I enjoy blogging and putting myself out there, that is not my primary goal. I am particularly interested in community efforts, refugee services, and humanitarian work, and try to relay my advice and experiences to my followers. Moreover, I do not think I am special or different from my pears–I just try to be authentic and transparent with everything that I do. In my opinion, there are a ton of phonies out there, especially in today’s world, and authenticity has become rare.
Do you have any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general? What has worked well for you?
My biggest advice for networking is just to send the person an email! Introduce yourself, and ask to meet the person for coffee. Making connections is not hard. You just have to initiate things and maintain the connection.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: instagram.com/nour.h
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